Matthew Edwards is managing director of efinity Leads
Don’t get me wrong, I have really enjoyed the recent spell of warm weather, but at the same time I can’t help begrudging it for its impact on business. If you work with leads, either generating or converting them, you will know what I’m talking about.
It is almost instant. The minute the sun comes out, the number of leads generated drops dramatically. Just like retail stores, the lead generation business is greatly affected by the weather. But why?
Well, think about it. It’s not like we can guarantee extended periods of beautiful weather here in the UK. A sunny day is something to be cherished and enjoyed; you won’t see many Brits staying in surfing the internet when they could be outside in a beer garden or park.
This lack of ‘eyeballs’ has a direct impact on lead generation - less people looking means less potential for leads. Just as an example, on the last weekend of May this year we saw the number of impressions we can buy on our display network drop by 50% which had a dramatic impact on the level of leads we were able to generate.
Not only are consumers far more likely to have a ‘sort out personal admin day’ when it’s raining, they will also be more receptive to your call. Somebody stuck indoors because of bad weather is more likely to want to talk to you about renewing their insurance policy than someone heading out to the beach! The sad fact of the matter is that cold, miserable weather is good for lead generation.
I was recently asked if mobile advertising could help to counteract this problem. My answer was no. Because it’s not just about the eyeballs anymore, these days even the largest life insurance brands decrease their spending in the summer months. Some products dip less than others but all products have fewer ad spaces to acquire, therefore less leads to generate.
Can you protect yourself from seasonal downturns? Not in terms of lead volume, but you can plan and shape your year around the seasons. If January to April are your busiest months you need your most experienced staff to be focused and ready. You should be training new staff when you are quieter and they can focus on old leads and policy renewals. What else can you sell in the summer? Business insurance is an example of a product that doesn’t really suffer from seasonal dips.
Perhaps most obviously, if everyone else is having a summer holiday in June, July and August, why don’t you get one booked!
