From New Year greetings to social media contests, we bring you the best ways to get ahead in January.
With all its talk of fresh starts, healthy eating and clean living, January is a real Marmite month – you either love it or hate it. But one thing it’s great for is getting your brand a bit of well-deserved attention. Here’s how to get your brand noticed in the New Year, whatever business you’re in…
Send a New Year email
A nice simple one to get things started. The spectrum is vast, ranging from a short and sweet ‘Happy New Year!’ to a personalised email with more bells and whistles than Santa and his sleigh – it just depends how far you want to take it.
The former is an easy way to check in with your customers, get your brand in front of them and show them you care. The latter is an opportunity to wow them and give them a little something for their loyalty last year. A discount or promotion is always going to attract attention, even more so if it’s a little extra on top of the post-Christmas sale you’re already running.
To up the excitement factor, you could launch a flash sale at midnight on December 31st. Or, if sales aren’t your thing, how about using the date to launch a new loyalty scheme? Just remember to time it well and consider sending it in the week before New Year’s Day, otherwise you risk getting lost in a sea of other well-wishers vying for their attention.
Read more on New Year branding: Get inspired by these New Year emails from big brands.
2. Get creative on social
New Year is a busy old time on social – people are plugged in to their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds, devouring a steady stream of New Year greetings, so it’s a great time to make your presence felt.
Go for something silly that’ll raise a smile and get people clicking, like ‘Got your party shoes on or feet firmly in your novelty slippers this NYE? Send us a picture of your party feet and we’ll send a prize to our top 3 pics’. Or go down a more inspirational route, sharing your team’s New Year resolutions and asking people to send theirs. Another option is to ask people which resolutions they stuck to – everyone who’s managed a full year gets an extra 10% off.
Just remember that whatever you run needs to be on brand or it’ll confuse your customer base and undo any good work you’ve done establishing a brand personality. Consistency is key where branding’s concerned, always.
Read more on New Year branding: The beauty of social media is it doesn’t have to be complicated – you can work wonders with a funny or inspirational image and a few words. Check out some New Year gems here.
3. Show the highs of last year and set out your store for the next
Everyone loves a look back at the year gone by before they charge headlong into the next one. Share three great things from 2021 and ask people to tell you their best bits, too. Then give a little teaser for what’s to come for your brand in the New Year. Don’t worry if details are still a bit sketchy – the idea is to plant a seed and get people excited about where your brand is heading.
Before you share details of what your year will look like, it pays to have a good think about what’s shaping up to be big news in the coming 12 months. For example short-form video content, virtual reality experiences and an even bigger focus on social responsibility are set to get lots of attention, so it’s wise to plan your year around trends like these. From a social media perspective, Tik Tok is set to skyrocket even further, so 2022 is the year to get on there if you haven’t already.
Another thing to consider is asking your audience what they’d like to see from your company in the future. Ask them what they like already, what you could do better, and what they’d like to see from you that’s fresh out of the wrapping.
Read more on New Year branding: Get inspired by the big marketing trends of 2022 here.
4. Unveil something new
A good way to get attention and cut through the New Year noise is to launch a new product or service. Tease it through December to build excitement and then press the button for launch at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Alternatively, if you haven’t got the resources to do that before New Year, start dropping clues from the 1st of January instead, letting people know something’s in the pipeline.
To take it another step further, ask people to play a part in its launch. For example, can they help you come up with a name for it or suggest the perfect marketing tagline that you’ll use across your advertising? The winner could be the first person to get their hands on this new offering.
Read more on New Year branding: Learn a lesson or two from 5 of the best product launches.
5. Tease a rebrand
Of course, one of the best ways to start the New Year with a bang is to launch a new look. Lots of big brands are working on revamps due to be unveiled in the New Year. Don’t worry if it’s not ready to go in January – you can tell people it’s on its way and start creating a sense of excitement.
And remember, a rebrand doesn’t have to mean a total overhaul. The makeover scale is vast, ranging from a refresh of fonts and colourways to a total brand redesign. You just need to find the right fit for you and your company.
Read more on New Year branding: Find out what’s going to be big news in the branding world in 2022 and read our article on when it’s the right time to rebrand.
NEED HELP MAKING NEXT YEAR A BUMPER YEAR? Building strong brands is what we do, day in, day out, at Threerooms. If you’d like to discuss a project, get in touch today.
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