Do you know that you can still maximize sales after your Christmas campaign has ended? Most marketers believe that Q4 is the end of the year, and that Cyber Week up until Christmas is the last quarter to make sales. But there is a hidden quarter that most are not aware of, it is called Q5 or Q5 marketing.
This hidden quarter is the best time to start marketing, especially for smaller businesses. Q5 marketing presents many benefits for businesses whether small or big. According to statistics, 41% of customers said their shopping does not end in December but continues even after the holidays. Want to know more about this secret quarter? Keep reading to find out!
In this blog post, you will learn:
What is Q5 marketing?
Q5 marketing is an underrated quarter that starts right after Christmas and continues until mid-January. Most marketers are unaware of this hidden quarter, they assume that customers stop spending after the holiday and that they should pause their marketing efforts, but the shopping continues. Shoppers are searching for bargains, looking for deals, and using their gift cards. They are not buying gifts for others but self-gifting themselves. This fifth quarter is perfect for smaller brands and businesses as the holiday noise and competition have slowed and ad space costs have lowered. It is a great way to end and start the year by giving your sales a boost.
Why should you market during Q5?
There are many reasons why you should market during Q5 as it has its benefits such as:
1. Less competition. Most businesses do not have any live campaigns after Christmas as they have used most of their budget for bigger campaigns like Cyber Week. Additionally, marketers are using this period to review their campaigns and analyze the results to prepare for Q1. This leaves a quiet gap for brands to boost brand awareness and reach audiences.
2. Lower ad costs. As mentioned above, brands are analyzing their Q4 performance and do not have any active campaigns running. With fewer businesses running ads and campaigns, advertising costs such as the CPM (cost per mille) drop. This allows you to reach a larger audience by spending a considerably lower amount.
3. Customers are still spending. Shopping does not end with the holidays. Many customers are looking to leverage post-holiday sales such as discounts, gift cards, and exchanging unwanted gifts. Moreover, they are looking to shop for themselves for the New Year.
4. Shoppers are active online. Most marketers believe that shoppers are done spending after completing their holiday shopping. The reality is that they are still online looking to leverage the ongoing sales and discounts.
Q5 marketing strategies to boost sales at the end of the year
Want to take advantage of this quiet yet beneficial quarter? Here are Q5 marketing strategies to drive your revenue before the year ends.
Target individual shoppers
With the end of the year approaching, New Year’s is a few weeks away. Many people are looking to start the new year fresh with things that can help them reach their personal goals. Ever heard of the saying ‘New Year, New Me’? People are looking to revamp themselves and their lives whether it is hitting the gym, picking up a hobby, or getting a makeover.
This presents a great opportunity for brands to target individual shoppers as most customers are looking to purchase items that will help them achieve their New Year’s resolutions. After buying gifts for others, they are looking to treat themselves by spending and self-gifting.
Use gamification to engage customers
Marketing Games have many benefits, they can help you increase customer engagement, generate leads, and even boost sales. According to gamification statistics and trends, businesses that have gamified loyalty programs in place report a 22% increase in customer retention. They are a great way to engage customers, so they end up shopping with you.
This Scratch and Match game is a fun and engaging Marketing Game that you can use for your Q5 marketing strategy. It is fully customizable so you can add your own branding or product images to boost brand awareness and promote your products. Moreover, it allows you to generate leads as participants are required to fill in a lead form before playing the game. Additionally, using this template can help you increase sales as customers who successfully complete the game will receive a discount code, encouraging customers to spend. Try out this template to engage customers and increase sales during Q5.
Turn to social selling
Social media is a wonderful outlet to promote your campaigns and connect with your audiences. With the Q5 quarter being the quiet period, you can now run ads on social media at a lower cost now that Q4 has ended. Moreover, this allows your products or campaigns to reach a wider audience. Turning to social selling during this quarter is super beneficial for your business as people will be catching up on holiday social media posts from family and friends.
Use Social Interactive Content to amplify your reach on social media as part of your Q5 marketing. Social Interactive Content invites your audiences to engage with you and share their experiences on social media, increasing brand awareness and engagement. Additionally, it encourages active customer participation. Social Interactive Content includes shareable holiday cards, personalized cards, contests, and Marketing Games that can be shared with friends or family.
This Christmas Day Card template is a great Q5 marketing strategy to increase your brand visibility and engagement during this quarter so you can boost sales. It is fully customizable, which allows you to add product images and your own brand visuals. This template allows your audiences to create, send, and share personal seasonal greetings to friends and family. Because it is shareable, it can help you reach a wider audience. Using this template can help you create meaningful interactions and unique customer experiences for your customers.
Make use of Interactive Content to boost sales
We know that Q5 is the quiet period, but why not increase your chances of being seen with Interactive Content? Interactive Content stands out compared to static content and it turns passive audiences into active participants giving you maximum visibility. There are many Interactive Experiences to choose from that will engage your customers and boost sales.
Personality Tests can be used as part of your Q5 marketing effort to boost sales. This Test and Consultation Booking template is an Interactive Experience that can help generate leads and drive sales. Customers can take this Personality Test to find out more about themselves. Additionally, with this template, you can discover more about your customers, guide and advise them, and recommend products. This provides your audience with a personalized experience that will help your brand stand out during this quarter.
RELATED: 6 Examples of personalized marketing for beautiful customer experiences
Another experience that you can use for your Q5 marketing strategy is a Guided Selling Gift Finder. This Interactive Experience makes it easier for customers to find products for themselves or others, it simplifies the buying journey for them. Moreover, it helps you understand your customers better and what they are looking for. Additionally, it helps you promote and recommend suitable products to shoppers, increasing customer satisfaction.
Product catalogs or Interactive Flipbooks can be used to boost sales for your Q5 marketing. Additionally, using a product catalog can help you showcase your product offerings. You can add detailed descriptions, images, and reviews to help customers easily find products. With this information, customers can make comparisons which can boost conversions. Use this Glassware Catalogue template to promote your products and increase sales before the year ends.
Other Interactive Content that you can use to help with Q5 Marketing are Interactive Popups. Interactive Popups can help you engage users who visit your website and capture their attention. Moreover, you can also create personalized messages with Interactive Popups and promote your offers without being disruptive to visitors browsing your website. This Product Swiper Popup template can be customized by adding your product images to help drive customers to spend.
Interactive landing pages can also be added to your Q5 marketing strategy to help drive sales before the year ends. Landing pages help you convert visitors into potential leads and customers. Your landing page can successfully increase conversions with clear calls to action and persuasive content such as products that customers can instantly shop. This Cyber Monday Personalized Landing Page template can provide personalized recommendations to customers when you connect your CRM system enhancing the user experience.
There are many Interactive Experiences which you can use to reach your marketing goals and boost your marketing efforts. Unsure of where to start and want to know which Interactive Experience will work best for you? Try this Interactive Experience Finder to get started.
Maximize your Christmas marketing efforts
Looking at the results of your Christmas marketing campaign can help you with the planning of your Q5 strategy. With the data and insights collected, you can determine your next plan of action. You can see what customers were interested in, which discount strategy worked best and what kind of ads performed well. Use the information gathered from your Christmas campaign to guide you in your Q5 marketing strategy.
Supercharge sales with Q5 marketing and Interactive Content
Q5 or quarter five is the last quarter of the year, it is a lesser-known period which marketers can use to drive revenue. It is the perfect time to market yourself, especially for smaller businesses as there is less competition. Moreover, the cost of advertising is lower during this time and customers are still spending and browsing products and deals online.
Our Interactive Content Platform can help you easily create unique Interactive Experiences for your customers that will help you stand out during Q5. Explore over 20 Interactive Experiences and make use of 350+ customizable templates. With our drag-and-drop builder, you can create any kind of Interactive Content without needing to code. Get started on our 14-day free trial today and use Interactive Content to boost your sales and end the year with a bang!
