The first day of autumn may fall in September, but October is when we really notice the temperature drop. The shift in seasons also brings a shift in consumer behaviour, making it an ideal time to launch seasonal marketing content that resonates with your audience.
Here’s why October is a prime time for your marketing efforts and how you can harness the power of seasonal content to drive engagement and conversions.
Consumers Are Ready to Spend
As Christmas approaches, consumers start planning their purchases earlier than ever. According to studies, a significant portion of Christmas shopping begins in October – so if you’re in retail or e-commerce, it’s essential that you capture your audience’s attention now. By aligning your content with the season, you can tap into the excitement and anticipation that drives consumer behaviour during this time.
Tip: Create seasonal marketing collateral that highlights early-bird deals, gift guides and trends. This can include blog posts, social media campaigns, email newsletters and print marketing.
Emotional Connections Are Stronger
Autumn is a season rich in emotions – cosying up by the fire, pumpkin spice lattes, family walks and the excitement of Halloween. Leveraging these emotions in your content can help you build a deeper connection with your audience. Seasonal marketing that evokes nostalgia and warmth can be more engaging and memorable, leading to higher brand loyalty.
According to Mintel, Halloween spending topped £1bn for the first time in 2023 and consumer spending on Bonfire Night saw an increase of almost 20%. This was driven by a significant uptick in spending from younger generations; 16-34 year-olds were the highest spending age group by far for both occasions.
Tip: If your target audience includes 16-34 year-olds, you need to capitalise on their heightened interest in the season. Use storytelling in your content, sharing stories that relate to autumnal traditions, family gatherings or Halloween fun, and tie them back to your brand in a way that feels authentic and relatable. For example, if you’re a housing developer targeting first time buyers, you might consider putting a pumpkin display outside your show home and sharing it on social media.
Social Media Engagement Increases
It’s natural for social media engagement to dip over the summer months, as people enjoy the weather, go on holiday and ‘switch off’. During autumn and winter, the days are much shorter and colder, so people tend to spend more time indoors; as a result, they also tend to spend more time on social media.
Throughout autumn, users share their experiences from Halloween costumes to beautiful orange foliage. This provides an excellent opportunity to create shareable content that aligns with these trends – even if you’re a B2B business. Do you share testimonials? Choose an autumn leaves background. Is your team planning a Halloween bake sale for charity? Share some snaps!
Tip: Create a content calendar for October that includes posts themed around key dates like Halloween or World Smile Day (4th October, FYI!) and incorporate hashtags and visuals that are relevant to the season to boost engagement. At Trident Marketing, our digital marketing team would be happy to help.
SEO Gets A Steer
Seasonal content can also provide significant SEO benefits. Consumers often search for topics and products such as ‘Halloween costume ideas’ and ‘autumn home décor’ during this time. By optimising your content for these seasonal keywords, you can attract more organic traffic to your website.
Tip: Conduct keyword research to identify popular seasonal search terms related to your industry. Create blog posts, landing pages and product descriptions that incorporate these keywords to improve your visibility in search engine results.
Community & Engagement Is Key
Seasonal marketing gives you an opportunity to foster a sense of community amongst your audience. Whether it’s through a Halloween-themed giveaway or an autumn photo competition, encouraging your audience to participate in seasonal activities can enhance engagement and create a stronger connection with your brand.
Tip: Encourage your followers to share their favourite autumn recipe, Halloween decorations or autumn adventures, using a branded hashtag. Whatever feels right or appropriate for your business.
October is a powerful month for seasonal marketing, offering a unique blend of consumer readiness, emotional appeal and increased social media activity. By strategically incorporating autumnal content into your marketing efforts, you can capture the attention of your audience and drive engagement.
Whether through storytelling, SEO optimisation or social media campaigns, the opportunities are vast – so don’t let October pass by without leveraging its full potential for your brand.
Are you struggling with how to promote your business alongside the seasons? Get in touch with our team on 01473 823700 or by emailing enquiries@tridentmarketinguk.com.
