13 Dec Use it or Lose it–Top 5 Big Ideas for Your End-of-Year Marketing Dollars

It’s December, and you have money left over in your marketing budget–congratulations! Now, what’s the best way to spend those valuable resources before the clock runs out on them and they’re gone? We have some ideas we think you’ll love. Here are our top 5 big ideas for your end-of-year marketing dollars.

Big Idea #1. Website upgrades

You want to spend your marketing funds on things that build your business. Your website is probably your most valuable asset in that regard. Therefore, if there are marketing dollars left over at the end of the year, website upgrades are always an excellent place to put them.

Many web designers and firms work on the basis of packages for simplicity’s sake. Perhaps you can upgrade now to their next level package. If not, there may be specific items they can provide separately, such as SSL certificates or new graphics. Talk to your web designer or firm. Chances are, they’ve already been thinking about ways they could improve your site, and it’s always a great investment!

Big Idea #2. Videos

A great video can be one of your most powerful marketing tools. Put it on your website, share it on social media, use it in important client meetings. If you have videos you’ve been using, it may be time to update them as well.

Facebook video ads are also very effective, and a great investment for most organizations any time. You can spend as much or as little as you like on them, which makes them great for this time of year. Use Facebook ads as a way to implement any of the other ideas in this list. Like website upgrades, whatever you spend here will be worth the investment.

Big Idea #3. Brand-building

Building a brand is about more than sales. Great brands gain market share and build strong identities through clear and positive exposure. Unfortunately, many smaller companies and organizations fail to follow their example.

The end of the year may be your best opportunity to communicate with your clients and prospects about who you are. Send Christmas and Chanakuh cards, publish a special New Year’s edition of your newsletter, or produce a new introduction video.

Also, remember that people tend to be a little more contemplative during the holidays. This may be an excellent time to share your heart, your vision, and your values as an organization or leader. This builds goodwill for your brand, which brings us to our next big idea.

Big Idea #4. Goodwill marketing

If you have an effective marketing plan in place, you may be feeling good about your annual sales about now. Why bother with anything else? Goodwill, that’s why. Goodwill is similar to brand-building, but with an important difference–no sales allowed.

The holidays are the perfect opportunity to sell, of course. But they are also the perfect opportunity NOT to sell–or rather, to sell yourself. Spend those marketing dollars on something that is designed simply to create goodwill between you and your clients.

Many companies and organizations send thank you gifts to preferred clients. For others, helpful and relevant content may be more appropriate. There are no rules, except that it needs to be as meaningful and beneficial as possible to the client and must have no strings attached.

One other method of goodwill marketing is to involve your clients in your company’s year-end charity drive. Offer clients the opportunity to help you support a cause you are passionate about. Two words of caution: First, choose this charity with care. Make sure it’s reputable, and that it’s something your clients can feel good about. Second, make sure clients send gifts directly to the charity and not to you.

Big Idea #5. Outsourcing

The larger and more complex your organization is, the more you need to outsource. It may be time to turn over part or all of your marketing to a firm of experts. A firm of specialists can see ways to improve your marketing strategy that you may not have thought of. They can also help you decide which of your ideas are most likely to succeed.

In addition, professional marketers see your business see your organization and brand from the customer’s point of view. This may be reason enough on its own to begin using a marketing firm. Successful people work hard, but they don’t do everything on their own. They learn to leverage the experience and expertise of others to add to their own success. A team of professional marketing experts may be your best investment of the whole year!

Use it or Lose it

Your marketing budget is one of your organization’s lifelines, so you want to keep it flowing year after year. The best way to do that is to is to spend it all, and spend it well. We hope our big ideas have inspired you with ways you can use those precious marketing dollars before they’re gone!

At Relay Creative Group, we exist to uniquely develop and represent clear and compelling messages for our clients. We enjoy the creative process and continually strive to meet and exceed your expectations. Let our team help you start smart and finish strong this year.

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