This article was updated on September 9, 2022.
The leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter, and the holiday season is right around the corner. This guide is full of ideas to help you re-energize your marketing campaigns to align with the new season.
If you’re looking to attract new customers, entice your current ones, and build your brand before the first snow hits the ground, read on for our expert tips on fall-themed marketing ideas. Whether you decide to run a back-to-school sale or take the opportunity to spice up your blog with some fall-infused content, these tips will give you a reason to celebrate by driving engagement, boosting sales, and honing your branding.
#1 Start a Fall Loyalty Program
For retail and repeat services, regularity is a big plus. Give your customers another reason to come in this season by offering a fall loyalty program that rewards them for each purchase or visit they make (in person or online).
Devon Leonard, co-owner of Good Vibes on the River Restaurant and Bakery in Townsend, Tennessee, implemented a punch card that granted customers 10% off each meal, aimed at locals and tourists. He saw how a seemingly small adjustment to his business model could result in a number of benefits for the community as a whole:
- It was received positively by residents who were eager to take advantage of regularly discounted meals.
- It was a viable strategy to bring more tourism not only to his locale but to the entire Smoky Mountain region.
- It helped out staff members, particularly servers who often received higher gratuities as a result of the discount.
Besides punch cards, consider these other options for a fall loyalty program for your small businesses:
- Scannable promotions – Using a barcode or QR code, you can create scannable promotions and offers delivered directly to a customer’s inbox. There’s no need for customers to bring anything but a phone, and offers can easily translate from in-person to online. It’s a modern day punch card.
- Fall referral program – For small businesses that rely on word of mouth, a fall referral program can be the best way to get new clients in the door. From hairstylists to real estate agents, offer your current customers a discount for referring someone new and create a win-win situation this fall.
- Opt-in emails – Follow up with your customers with an opportunity to opt-in for your business’s emails. You can let them know about all your fall sales, special offers, and reward them for their recent purchases with unbeatable fall deals.
When it comes to designing a fall loyalty program, communication is the key. Be sure your customers know about all the available offers, what they need to use them, and how long they’ll be available. After all, great fall deals are seasonal.
#2 Back to School Deals
Even if you don’t have a student headed back to school, you can embrace the back-to-school season with promotions and marketing materials celebrating the start of the semester.
Back-to-school deals mean different things for different businesses, but whatever you’re offering your customers, you can:
- Place an ad in the school paper – Support your alma mater or just your community high school with a newspaper ad. It’s a great way to give back to the community while advertising your fall specials.
- Sponsor a local team – Traditionally, fall is football season, so why not show a little school spirit by sponsoring a local sports team? You can have your business advertised to the crowd via announcements and banners, and let your community know you care.
There are plenty of options for sales and promotions, so get the word out for the back-to-school season and you could see a major return on investment this fall.
#3 Decorations and Designs
The look of your business can be just as important as what you do. Make a good first impression by getting in the fall spirit and updating your decor to reflect the season.
By making an effort to update your design, you’ll send a clear message to your customers about the level of engagement to expect from your company. It says that you’re always active in keeping up appearances and that your services reflect that.
When thinking about fall designs, consider:
- Storefront and office decorations – If you have a storefront or office location that clients visit, hay bales, pumpkins, and Halloween decorations could all be appropriate to give your physical space a seasonal facelift. Depending on your business, you might have the opportunity for large, dynamic displays or more subtle ones. Either way, decorating your storefront or office can make for a captivating advertisement.
- Digital redesign – If your business operates exclusively online, you can still decorate for the season. Consider creating a fall theme for your website with illustrations, animations, and autumn-themed descriptions for your products or services. There’s no reason your website can’t celebrate the season as well.
While decor and designs may seem small in comparison to the larger aspects of your business, it’s important to remember that appearances matter, especially to new customers.
When you put yourself out there as a business, don’t forget to put a bit of personality into your look. People prefer interacting with people. Let your customers know that there’s a beating heart behind your business by getting a little festive.
#4 Create Seasonal Content
Your marketing content is first and foremost a way to engage with your customers, and building content around the fall season can keep your content feeling fresh, relevant, and interesting.
Content can refer to any aspect of your marketing campaign. Here are a few ideas for marketing content to get your customers excited for fall:
- Favorite fall blog post – A blog can be an easy way to inform your customers about what your business excels at. Consider writing a post that corresponds with the season. If you’re a restaurateur, share your favorite fall recipes. If you work in retail, create a fall buying guide. If you’re a real estate agent, round up all the best neighborhood spots for fall. If you’re at a loss for a blog subject, rate your favorite Halloween costumes or the best apples of the season—there’s plenty to choose from.
- Seasonal video – Looking to show off your fall looks or the beautiful scenery? Create a video marketing campaign centered around the season. Videos are highly engaging ways to activate your customer base. For example, real estate agents can style a property with fall decor and film a virtual house tour to entice potential buyers. Retail businesses can put together a few fall outfits and share a video showcasing all of the eye-catching details.
Your seasonal content shouldn’t be a massive rebrand. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel or take massive leaps when it comes to how you communicate with your customers – you’re just adding a little autumn fun to your otherwise consistent brand.
#5 Fall Charity Events
One of the best ways to make the season truly feel special is by giving back to your community in a big way. Getting active with a charity can boost your brand’s reputation while also serving the greater good. In Manchester, New Hampshire, Double Midnight Comics uses Free Comic Book Day to link up with local charities and give back.
Aside from helping out charities in need, hosting this event was a way for Double Midnight Comics to send an important message about their brand values and commitment to the local community. Not only that, it was so well-attended that it even grabbed the attention of local news outlets, giving a small comic book shop a statewide platform.
When planning your fall events there are several options, including:
- Turkey Day giveaway – Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate all that we’re thankful for. Why not celebrate the community and give back to those less fortunate by conducting a food drive the week leading up to the holiday? You and your neighbors can take pride in providing others with a Thanksgiving meal, thanks to all the charitable efforts.
- Black Friday bonus – Why not make the biggest shopping day of the year a little more selfless with charity bonuses at your business? For every dollar spent at your business on Black Friday, pledge a portion to the local charity of your choosing. Even better, let your customers decide on the charity they’d like to support. Giving has never felt so good.
Charity events are not only a sustainable way to provide for your community, they can increase customer loyalty, inspire new customers to investigate your business, and create a sense of pride for those already supporting you.
#6 Seasonal Social Media Presence
Keeping up your social media profiles is a year-long process, so why not spice up your online activity by imbuing it with a little fall flavor?
- Stunning fall images – A picture is worth a thousand words—maybe, even more, when you post it online. Create picturesque fall images for your social media accounts and your audiences will show their appreciation through likes, comments, shares, and hopefully purchases.
Need some inspiration for your next photoshoot? Consider these ideas to help get your creative juices flowing:
Local coffee shops can promote their seasonal specials with a cozy shot featuring a chestnut-colored cup of joe set against a backdrop of rusty red leaves, multicolored mums, or tastefully arranged gourds.
Real estate agents can capture some seasonal photos that showcase a few of their properties during the fall season. This is an opportunity not only to update your listings but also to give potential buyers a feel for how the seasons could be enjoyed in their new home. - Fall product promotions – Social media is the best place for everyone to see what you’re offering this season. That means fall products, services, and promotions should be front and center on your seasonally curated profile. Make things easy for your customers to find by making everything clickable and shareable.
While you’re posting, feel free to update the details of your social media profiles to reflect a little bit of the fall spirit. There’s no reason you can’t add a pumpkin emoji or a golden leaf to your profile photo or bio.
#7 Tap into the Fall Spirit
Fall is a season unlike any other and it’s full of celebrations we wait for all year long. Tap into the community’s excitement for golden leaves, pumpkins, and chilly weather by keeping your brand aligned with the holidays.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Celebrate with treats – Fall holidays are all about the food. Real estate agent Missy Yost recommends leaving bags of candy (and a flyer or business card) around the neighborhood as a special treat for your Halloween-loving customers. If Thanksgiving is a holiday you love, try filling your brick-and-mortar business with signature dessert smells through candles, infusers, or even the real thing—sometimes there’s no better marketing than the delicious smell of freshly baked pumpkin pie from a nearby open house!
- Rebrand products and services – For a hint of spooky fun, see if you can add a little Halloween spirit to your brand. Do you run a pest control business? Add under-the-bed monster repellant (a squirt bottle filled with water and glitter and your business’s label) to your service offerings. Looking to add new drinks to your fall menu at your bistro? Advertise a “secret menu” on your social media and fill it with Thanksgiving-inspired items like “Gratitude Latte,” “Black Friday Breakfast Sandwich,” and “Kids Table Mac and Cheese.”
Fall Festivities Start at Nextdoor
With a whole list of fall marketing ideas, you’re probably gearing up for a campaign that will last until the end of December, but before you put all your plans into action there’s one more place to visit for all your fall marketing to really take off.
Nextdoor is the neighborhood hub for all seasons, but this fall you can join millions of businesses in spreading the word about the festive things happening in your community. At Nextdoor, you can engage with neighbors, build a Business Page to grow your online presence, and encourage everyone to shop local this season.
Sources:
WVLT. Townsend restaurant offers loyalty program to locals, tourists. https://www.wvlt.tv/2021/03/25/townsend-restaurant-offers-loyalty-program-to-locals-tourists/
Small business revolution. Double midnight comics. https://smallbusinessrevolution.org/small-business-revolution/story/double-midnight-comics/
Claim your free Business Page to get started on Nextdoor. For resources on how to use Nextdoor to stay connected with your local customers, pertinent news affecting businesses, and more, follow us at @nextdoorbusiness on Facebook.
