😛 Consumers are hungry

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Brands are warming up their marketing strategies and preparing their teams to go all in on growth this holiday season. Paid strategies are top of mind in Q4, but don’t let organic slip under the radar! 

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Organic growth plays a pivotal role in scaling an up and coming brand during the holidays. Why? The inherent affordability and scrappiness of organic strategies.

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Organic growth strategies are long term plans that utilize non-paid marketing tactics, like an educational blog post or creating your own social media posts, to grow your audience.

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Most of the lift to implement an organic growth strategy stems from creativity and proactiveness. As entrepreneurs with a growth mindset, we know you have those qualities in spades. 

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All that’s left to do is act on those traits – here’s how. 👇

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🟥 Red napkins

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Many businesses, restaurants in particular, are familiar with the red napkin strategy to retain new customers. 

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The red napkin strategy starts by identifying new customers or patrons of your business. 

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In a restaurant setting, patrons who make reservations for the first time are given a red napkin so the servers are able to identify the new customers and give them special treatment or offer them an exclusive dish. 

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This is more of a metaphor than a practical strategy as it signifies how new consumers should be treated by your business.

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This doesn’t imply you should be leaving your most loyal customers in the dust! We’ll touch on this later…

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The red napkin strategy is a way to illustrate that special treatment and introductory offers work. Red napkin offers, like a discount on a consumer’s first order or a special introductory gift, encourage them to either make an account with your brand or place another order in the future. 

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Small gifts and offers are a welcome ‘thank you’ for a consumer’s initial business and will help build your audience at the start of Q4. 

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🎨 Cohesive visuals

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A cohesive visual experience across your sales and marketing channels help consumers identify when they’re dealing with your brand and when they’re looking at a competitor. 

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Create a style guide to define your visuals for any artist who works with you so your creatives are designed with consistency. Think of a style guide acting like an FAQ for your artists and designers. 

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For an extensive example of a style guide, look no further than Material UI guidelines for Google and Android products. 

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Every button, text field, card, and menu has a specific look that visually distinguishes a Google product from an Apple product which are far more minimal in appearance. 

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The unification of visuals like:

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• Logos 
• Fonts
• Colors
• Button styles 

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…across your sales and marketing channels generate confidence in your consumers who are looking for a similar experience with your brand no matter where they decide to shop. 

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👏 Share UGC

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Keep an eye on your social channels for any incoming user-generated content (UGC) that you may be able to leverage in a scrappy creative to fill out your portfolio. 

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Consumers are likely to leave reviews or post about how they’re using your products on socials if their experience is positive. 

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Sharing a consumer’s Instagram Story where your product or account is tagged bild great relations and rapport with your audience. Interaction will only encourage further interaction and engagement from your community. 

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Consumers love being in the spotlight so send your engaged consumer a quick DM and ask for their permission to use their content on your page or Story. 

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You can use similar strategies on X, TikTok, or Youtube to capitalize on a range of formats that cater to a wider audience.  

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😍 Loyalty programs

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Loyal consumers are the bread and butter of any business. You count on them to support your business so they need to count on you for your support. 

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Offer exclusive discounts or priority access for new products multiple times a year. Then, advertise the benefits of being a loyal consumer to encourage more sign-ups and retention from newer customer segments. 

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Customers need to be rewarded for their time and if you can benefit your brand at the same time, that’s like feeding two birds with one seed! 

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🍽️ Satisfy the craving

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Organic growth starts with a willingness to put in the extra effort for your consumers. A little effort goes a long way when consumers are looking for gifts before the holidays so let’s impress your audience and their families for some serious growth.