(641) 209-6531
TANNER@SEMINARCROWDS.COM
Lately the burning question has been “what are the best seminar dates I can squeeze in before the end of the year?
I understand the dilemma – it’s a challenge but mailing and hosting events is doable during this time of year… with strategy!
As the year winds down and sees the Holidays approaching you probably are focused on stuff like client appreciation events, Holiday parties, and your own celebration plans. Everyone seems to be busy this time of year and rightfully so.
With this in mind, it’s important to ensure your mailing and events are not only scheduled to avoid hosting events too close to the actual Holiday but you’ll also want to strategize the timing of your mailing appropriately so it’s not getting lost in the volume swell and hoopla that all of the Holiday mail creates.
We are entering the time of year where as good as your offer may be, the recipients attention is fragmented in various ways. Competition for mail recipients attention is real during this portion of the year so taking some time to get a solid plan is key. We can help.
Our customers mailing during this time of the year know the challenge very well. Our goal is two-fold: 1.) Achieve the best possible timing/landing of your mail and 2.) Schedule events with no obvious Holiday objection/schedule complication. Ultimately, we want to stand out!
So, what makes this portion of the calendar year so “tricky”? Aside from the actual Holidays themselves, mail volume increases and may potentially impact how timely the USPS can have your mail delivered. Add in the possibility for weather-related delays on top of the increased catalogs, gift baskets, holiday cards, etc.
in the mail, your strategy and timing are extremely important.
While we have the ability to produce mailings very quick, it’s always a great idea to allow yourself a few extra days here so that we can consider and make use of all of your options enroute to determining the winning option that can best help you achieve your objective(s).
For sake of simplicity, I’ve highlighted the scenarios (weeks) below with Tuesday/Thursday events. However, Monday and Wednesday seminars are viable too so keep that in mind.
Event(s) Week of November 20th (Thanksgiving week)
- Holding seminars during this week is strongly discouraged.
Event(s) Week of November 27th (Tuesday, November 29th & Thursday, December 1st)
- This is one of the most opportune weeks to host events. By now the election mail won’t be overloading the USPS and all the hoopla will have subsided. On top of this, many of your targets should be settled back in after the Thanksgiving break and available to attend the event.
If you are mailing Standard/Marketing Mail, I would recommend mailing Tuesday, November 8th through Thursday, November 10th to give you the best shot of capturing responses well before the Thanksgiving holiday set in.
Week of December 4th (Tuesday, December 6th & Thursday, December 8th)
- Events scheduled this week would likely have your mail landing leading into and during Thanksgiving week. My strategy (usually) is to have mail landing the Friday prior to Thanksgiving through Monday/Tuesday Thanksgiving week so that your mail won’t be ignored due to the traveling, shopping, other mail offers, etc. that happen during the back portion of Thanksgiving week.
Week of December 11th (Tuesday, December 13th & Thursday, December 15th)
- Over the years I’ve seen decent response during this week, however, nailing down appointments as the Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa Holidays are in clear view may be more difficult than usual to secure due to folks being tied up as they prepare and get ready to celebrate.
Week of December 18th (Tuesday, December 20th & Thursday, December 22nd)
- Holding seminars during this period is strongly discouraged. Hanukkah kicks off on Sunday, December 18th and concludes later the following week on Monday, December 26th. Christmas also falls during this week, Sunday, December 25th.
Week of December 25th (Tuesday, December 27th & Thursday, December 29th)
- Wait, Tanner, this is crazy. I agree! This week sees Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa in full swing. While Christmas and Hanukkah are wrapping up, Kwanzaa kicks off on Monday, December 26th and concludes on Sunday, January 1st, 2023. This is also a general week of a very slow period across the nation with busy schedules and traveling as many are wrapping up the Holiday season overall.
With that said –I’ve had a few customers who tried their luck with events during this period and did OK (much to my surprise). I strongly discourage seminar events this week, however.
Finally, if it’s your strategy to avoid the weeks I’ve detailed above altogether and instead kick-off your next mailing or events in the New Year 2023, I would suggest planning your events no sooner than the week of January 15th, 2023.
Hosting seminars this calendar week will dictate that mailings be sent between the Christmas and New Years’ Holiday and I will typically suggest that many get their mailings sent between December 28th and December 30th so that your offer lands after the New Year’s Holiday. The goal will be to have mail landing the first full week in January 2023. Depending on your mailer size and class, mail dates will vary.
If you’d like to build a customized strategy for YOUR best approach, please give us a call – in just a few short minutes we can help make sense on what will be your best bet for holding seminars the remainder of the year and/or early seminars in 2023.
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Many talented, passionate people laid the foundation for Seminar Crowds, and I look forward with gratitude and high spirits.
Check back for more blog posts very soon, but until then, give me a call and let's talk about the future of your business.