How B2B Advertisers Can Utilize Q4 to Dominate Q1
I’ve been in the building products industry long enough to know that Q4 can be pretty quiet. Sales decline and web traffic follows with conversion rates sinking down. The reasons for the Q4 slump can vary:
- Annual budget is exhausted (this just means the flood gates open in Q1 when budgets are renewed)
- Holiday travel takes decision-makers off the job
- Decision fatigue
- Especially in our industry – the weather plays an important role in many parts of the country
So what can you do about it?
- First of all, review trends from last year
- Analyze prior holiday-time performance and predict when your Q4 drop and Q1 pick-up will occur
- Mitigate the low tide and accentuate the high tide
- Ensure sales and marketing teams are on the same page and working toward the same goals for both Q4 and Q1
And then – get ready! There is always a traffic slump between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but many B2B markets pick up right after the new year as people start planning. That means you need to be planning for Q1 today. Some of the best strategies for capturing that audience:
- Build an awesome retargeting foundation around specific audiences. And consider making adjustments to your cookie duration knowing that the holidays will add extra time into the buying process. Also consider video remarketing, but be sure to lower your retargeting bids for these prospects.
- Create a tiered conversion strategy based on both education- and action-based conversions. While education-related queries will likely dominate Q4, these can lead to big purchases in Q1. Make sure you are visible along every step of the search journey.
Bottom line – Q4 can feel slow, but it’s the perfect time to build a plan to capitalize on revitalized budgets and minds in Q1. Want to know more? Read the full article from Search Engine Watch here.
