With the Holidays behind us and the promise of increased spring home listings still ahead, late winter provides great marketing opportunities for getting out in front of your competition.

Here are just a few examples of how to use the lull in activity during late winter as an opportunity to energize your marketing while your competition is still hibernating.

Leveraging February Holidays

The year-end Holidays are, of course, a great opportunity to engage in marketing initiatives that both nurture past client relationships and generate new leads and referrals.

But February also has holidays and special occasions that are opportunities for celebration and ways for you to show your support for your local communities.  These, of course, include Black History Month and Valentine's Day, but there are also other observances that can be a good opportunity (or excuse!) to engage with prospects.  Some of these include:

• Chinese New Year
• National Wear Red Day (awareness of heart disease in women)
• Presidents' Day
• National Jello Week (yup, it's real)

And for more ideas on special (and sometimes unusual) occasions for showing community support or bringing together prospects, you can visit:  https://www.thespruce.com/special-days-and-observances-in-february-1448885 

Focusing Your "80/20"

The Pareto principle (also known as the "80/20 rule") is named for an Italian economist from the 1800's named Vilfredo Pareto.  It states that for many events, 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.  So, for example, for most businesses, it finds that 80% of the sales typically come from 20% of the clients.

The quieter days of February can be a great time for you to discover your 80/20.

Looking over the past year, who are the 20% of the contacts who generated 80% of your leads?  Or what are the 20% of your marketing costs that generating 80% of your new business?

By taking the time to understand what is driving your most efficient results, you can adjust your efforts for the coming year.  And February is the perfect time to start putting your new plans in place, before you get caught up with the busier times of the upcoming real estate season.

Re-Thinking Your Branding

The February lull is also a great time for re-thinking how you are displaying and promoting your brand.

Does your logo or picture need freshening?  Is all of your contact information up-to-date everywhere it is being displayed?  Is it time to re-focus your social media approach?  Are there new technologies that have come out that could give your website some new sparkle, even without having to re-do your entire website?  And remember, in a competitive environment, just because branding and marketing activities have been successful in the past, doesn't mean they will continue to be successful in the future.