Working When Everyone Else Isn't

Ho, Ho, Oh No

When I was in college, far too long ago, there was a Thanksgiving weekend when I didn't have the cash to get home. So I stayed at school for the long weekend, and picked up four straight double-shift days at my work-study hustle job as a security guard. Sixty eight hours billed over four straight days.

I'm not going to mince words; it was terrible, even though the cash saved my holiday season, and I used the time well to catch up on all of my studies, along with an inordinate amount of reading, guitar playing, writing and so on. But there was one side effect that was valuable, in that no Thanksgiving since has been as bad as that. Also, that I was capable of that sort of sacrifice if I had to make it, which gave me a curious sort of pride about my motor, really.

When you work in advertising and marketing, you tend to take your time off at the same time as everyone else -- the week between Christmas and New Years', some time around Labor Day, and if you've got kids, maybe spring break. Which leads to the tendency among many in the field to wrap up the year in mid-December, since most of us have everything all set up well in advance of this time, and finding people who you work with is very hit or miss. Also, you might have a use or lose moment with your time off.

But just because many pros are fortunate enough to have this time, that doesn't mean your audience does -- or that there isn't major hay to make from last-minute adjustments and opportunities, particularly in e-commerce. You also might have contractual obligations to clear business before the end of the calendar year, which means you are doing more than you might want to, given the impact of seasonality on engagement. But if it can't be helped, and you find yourself churning while everyone else is getting their wassail on, a few points to keep in mind.

> Engagement might not be as big of a problem as it used to be. Smartphones make way too many people eternally tethered to their work or (especially) email, which means that the historical drop off might not repeat itself. You might even see a bit of a gain if your competitors close up shop early for the season.

> However, the send might be more harmful than you anticipate. In email marketing, unsubscribes spikes in Q4, because, well, people get too much of it, and take steps to control their intake. True email pros never neglect this metric, of course, but it's easy to disregard it in the face of revenue. Just remember that a spike in unsubs, especially if there isn't a strong corresponding intake of fresh addresses, is a serious problem for long-term growth.

> Don't overpromise. The worst brand moment for an e-commerce company comes when they can't fulfill their promises during the Christmas rush, and marketing and advertising that doesn't take this into account -- or, even worse, actively works to convince the leads that orders will be safely sent when they aren't -- is actively destroying the brand. Most folks in the space know this down cold, but unclear messaging on shipping is just not something many companies can survive, especially in a social media and review site age.

> Cramming rarely saves the season. If you've got a client that needs to change messaging on a daily basis, burns through creative like it's a free resource, and keeps you going 24/7 as if this activity is all that stands between them and a winning year... well, you are in the presence of a terrible managerial situation, and a business that can't survive in the long run. At a brand level, the client is training prospects to buy in low margin. At a business level, the client is keeping you from serving other clients to the best of your ability.

Don't think of it as squeaky wheel gets the grease. More, it's a lack of wheel stopping the entire cart. Oh, and the work's going to stink, too, because this kind of rapid fire force feed creates mistakes, fatigue, and turnover. Push back, if only to save your sanity. (Or get your resume out before everyone else does. That will also save your sanity,)

> Keep your perspective. Even the worst day in Q4 in marketing and advertising is spent (a) indoors, (b) without dealing with hordes of panicky and rude clients, (c) with no greater traffic or commuting problems than usual, and (d) for a salary that would boggle the mind of, say, the poor folks selling Christmas trees or working retail. There are, frankly, many folks in the work force who'd trade gigs with you in a heartbeat. Charity during the season is rarely a mistake.

And if all of that doesn't put a smile on your face, just remember... the holidays will be over soon enough, and then we'll be able to turn the page on a year that many of us consider to be among the worst in recent memory. 2017's got to be better!

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