“We won’t advertise over Christmas. Nobody will be looking.”

It’s something I hear every year about Christmas marketing and, on the face of it, it sounds perfectly reasonable. People are busy buying presents, attending school plays, navigating family gatherings and wondering whether three tubs of chocolates will be enough.

Business may slow down for a week or two, but that doesn’t mean your potential customers stop thinking about what they need.

In fact, the Christmas break is one of the few times many people get a chance to pause, look around and consider all the things they have been putting off.

It might be the draughty windows they really must replace, the spare room that needs decorating, the garden they want sorted before spring or the accountant they promised themselves they would find before another tax deadline looms.

Others may be thinking about moving house, getting fitter, changing jobs, learning something new or finally booking the appointment that has been sitting on their mental to-do list since June.

Christmas makes us take stock

Christmas has a habit of making us take stock. We notice what isn’t working, talk about our plans with family and start imagining what we would like the coming year to look like.

And while we may not immediately pick up the phone between Christmas pudding and the King’s Speech, we are still browsing, reading and quietly making decisions.

Why staying visible pays off

That is precisely why disappearing from view can be a mistake.

Marketing isn’t only about catching someone at the exact moment they are ready to buy. It is about making sure your business is the one they remember when that moment arrives.

If a potential customer repeatedly sees your name in a trusted local magazine or online, you begin to feel familiar. Then, when they decide it is time to request a quote, make a booking or ask for advice, yours is one of the first businesses that comes to mind.

What’s more, the companies that stay visible during quieter periods face less competition for attention from those that have decided to switch off their marketing until January. By the time everyone else reappears with their “New Year, New You” messages, you have already introduced yourself.

You don’t need to shout, offer enormous discounts or festoon every advert with tinsel. You simply need to be present.

Consistent advertising keeps your business on the local radar. Switching it on and off means repeatedly asking customers to notice and remember you all over again.

So, before deciding that Christmas advertising isn’t worthwhile, consider this:

Your customers may not be buying today, but they could already be deciding who they will buy from tomorrow.

Make sure you are there when they do.

If you’re not sure what to say, where to say it or how to keep your marketing ticking over through the festive season, I can help. Get in touch and let’s make sure your business is the one customers remember in the new year.

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