5 Marketing Tips for Q4, the Most Expensive Time for Digital Marketing

Why Q4 is an Expensive Time to Market Your Offering 

Quarter 4 (Q4) includes October, November and December. While it’s called the most wonderful time of the year, it’s also known as the most expensive time for marketing. During this period, digital marketing is dominated by big spenders in the retail space promoting Black Friday and holiday deals. If you’re using paid advertising, keep in mind that platforms such as Google Ads and Facebook leverage auction-based algorithms to decide which ads to show. Because of this, Q4 is one of the most expensive times of the year for digital marketing, since your ads may be competing against bigger budget ad accounts. In fact, ad costs can increase by 25% or more during the weeks surrounding Black Friday, according to the American Marketing Association.

If you’re in the middle of raising capital in the online private markets, there are still plenty of ways to get the word out about your raise. Below, we’ve outlined 5 Tips to Help you Market Your Private Market Offering in Q4:

Interested in learning more about the online private market? Visit Netcapital.com

5 Tips to Help You Market Your Private Market Offering in Q4

1. Leverage Email 

Email is an effective, low cost marketing tool. It lets you directly engage contacts who are already interested in your company, like current customers. There’s also more space in an email to make the case for your offering than there is in a Facebook ad. If you already use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software like Hubspot or Salesforce, you should easily be able to mass email your contacts. Even if you don’t have a formal email marketing tool, sending emails to your team’s existing contacts or your business’ customers can be a good way to spread the word.

Not an email marketing expert? We’re happy to help! Talk to our team of digital marketing experts about marketing your private market offering today.

2. Reach Out to Your Personal Network 

When we spoke to KingsCrowd CEO Chris Lustrino about how he maxed out his private market offering, he offered this piece of advice: 

To tap into your own network, you may want to start with diving into your LinkedIn network. This is an easy way to review who you know and who your contacts know. Your previous co-workers or old friends might have key connections that you can reach out to or start engaging with online. As Lustrino mentioned, your alumni network can also be especially valuable. This is an audience that is likely receptive to supporting your business or redirecting you to helpful connections. Try reaching out to your school’s alumni office, as they may have dedicated opportunities for exposure and networking.

3. Double Down on Organic Social

While your paid social may see a dip during Q4, organic social can continue to be a free, easy way to generate interest in your business. Be sure to plan posts ahead of time, in order to have consistent content. Additionally, try to stay on top of industry news. Discussing relevant current events in your posts or linking to news stories can help draw attention to your company and subsequently your online raise.

4. Event-Based Marketing

Events are a great way to pitch your company your private market offering to investors. They give you an opportunity to sell your company’s story  and connect on a more personal level. There are remote events for entrepreneurs and startups happening online all the time. Try to look out for pitch days that you’re eligible for and apply to join ones that fit your niche. You can also create your own by collaborating with online creators and startup communities.

5. Improved Copy and Creative

If you’re continuing to pursue paid social in Q4, be sure to change out your copy and creative. Although platforms use an auction-based algorithm to place ads, having dynamic images and eye-catching copy helps to boost your ads in auction. The algorithm assigns a quality score to your ads, which can help determine what gets shown. To get a higher quality score, try revamping your ads and frequently testing new copy and creative.

Lastly, consider taking advantage of consulting and digital marketing services provided by experts such as Netcapital Advisors. A dedicated digital marketing team can make navigating this time less daunting and lets you spend more time focusing on what matters most: your business.

Interested in learning more about Netcapital Advisors and how we can help your business market its online private market offering? Contact us today.