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Why Off-Peak Promotions Could Be Bad For Business

off-peak-business-promotions, auditorium

Slow days. Those times when your customer traffic goes from a steady stream to a slow trickle.

If you want to get prospective customers through your door (or to your website), you’re going to need to dangle a carrot (or in this case popcorn) in front of them.

That means you’re not only going to have to identify and implement the right off-peak promotion, you’re also going to have to promote your off-peak promotion.

Movie Mondays. When I first heard about it a few days ago, I thought it was too good to be true--reduced ticket prices for all showings (not just the matinees) and free popcorn at the local movie theatre? Count me in. Although I was still a little skeptical.

How could this be the first I’d ever heard of it after living in the same area for more than four years?

Either nobody I know likes going to the movies or the theatre isn’t doing a very good job of promoting the promotion.

As I would come to find out, the promotion was definitely lacking. Talk about a real head scratcher.

There was no signage on the outside windows. Missed opportunity. Employees never said a word about it. Another missed opportunity. No signage at the concession stand. Another missed opportunity.

Just think about how many people have probably come and gone without ever knowing about the special or the free popcorn. Given the continuing slump in movie ticket sales, you’d think they would want to shout about it from the rooftops.

Here’s the thing—you can have the greatest promotion in the world but if your customers don’t know about it, you’re not going to drive traffic on those days when business is slow.

  • If you have a social media presence, get in the habit of sharing updates about it.
  • If you have a brick and mortar storefront, put a sign in the front window.
  • If you have employees, make sure they know about it and talk about it with current and prospective customers.

Don’t let all of the hard work you put into carefully crafting the right promotion go to waste. Look for opportunities to actually tell your customers about the deal. After all, the ultimate success of your promotion and your small business, will depend on it. 

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[Image: Flickr user M. Pratter]



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