Your Q4 Survival Guide

The end of 2024 is approaching faster than me to the local pub on a sunny afternoon.

Before we know it, Mariah Carey will have defrosted to do her annual rounds, and then the year will be over.

But before we get festive, we have to survive Q4.

This is the home stretch. It's the time when marketers pull out all the stops to boost year-end revenue and hit those targets, setting the stage for the oncoming year.

A strong Q4 can significantly impact the overall health of a business. It’s a time to assess the year’s performance, to meet your goals, clear out excess inventory, and realign for a successful start to the new year.

It’s no walk in the park, either. Q4 is the Super Bowl of sales, or in other words, it's competitive asf.

With Black Friday, Cyber Monday and holiday season all packed tightly into three months, it’s practically a non-stop frenzy.

And this means consumers are bombarded with endless offers and promotions.

So how does one stand out and connect in a meaningful way? Especially when the landscape we’re working with is the online version of an overcrowded street market? The busyness of this season alone is enough to send anyone into a menty-b.

But fear not. This right here is your Q4 survival guide – you’re so welcome x

Plan and prioritise early.

This first step seems fairly obvious. But you’d be surprised at how EOY can sneak up on you and bite you in the ass, especially when you’re faced with an endless list of projects and deadlines.

Review last year’s data.

This will help you optimise your Q4 strategy, using customer feedback, best performing campaigns and product demand to inform your next moves.

Set clear goals.

Whether it’s boosting sales, growing brand awareness, or customer retention, you need to define specific KPUs early on to stay on track.

Don’t spread yourself too thin.

Prioritise campaigns that align with your goals, like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and holiday promotions. Ditch the extra sh*t you don't have time for, anyway.

Optimise your site search.

The good news: Increased online traffic means increased traffic to your site.

The bad news: If the speed and accuracy of your on-site search aren’t optimised, this increase means nothing.

Slow load times, inaccurate results and hard-to-find search bars all prevent your customers from converting. Make sure your site is easy to navigate so you can actually capture sales from that traffic you're getting.

Optimising for mobile is also super important. A majority of shopping is now done on mobile. So ensure your website is spick and span when accessed this way.

Leverage customer segmentation.

Everybody loves to feel special! So personalise your offers by using customer data to segment your audience and create specific offers for each group. Loyal customers might receive exclusive discounts, while new customers could get introductory offers.

Bonus points for implementing dynamic content that caters to each audience segment. This could be dynamic email content, personalised web experiences, or customized social ads.

Automate where you can.

In the age of AI, why would you not?

Trust me, it’s going to take some of the sting out of this hectic season.

Email Automation: Use triggered emails for abandoned carts, follow-ups, and upsells. Setting up automated workflows early on will save you time during the busy period.

Nearly seven out of ten shopping carts are abandoned. So improving your basket abandonment email sequence with automation alone can recover crucial revenue in this last push.

Chatbots: Use chatbots on your website to assist customers with FAQs, recommendations, and basic support. This will free up your customer service resources.

Last but not least, stay agile.

Supply chain issues, sudden shifts in consumer behaviour, or last-minute opportunities can arise. Be ready to pivot if something isn’t working or an opportunity comes up.

Monitor your campaigns closely and adjust them in real time if need be. Now is not the time to drop the ball.

Now, take a deep breath and say it with me: I love my job. I love my job. I love my job.

You got this. Go thrive x

-Sophie, Writer