December in Buffalo: 60+ Degrees and What it Means for Your Marketing

Buffalonians have been enjoying spring in December.  Though we suffer an undeserved reputation as a yearlong frozen tundra (OK, we’ve had a few spectacular storms), we’ve taken advantage of the milder temperatures and record-breaking lack of snow…but with a cautious eye to the southwest.

Why the southwest and not the north? Buffalo is perfectly situated on Lake Erie for lake effect snow. Until the lake freezes in midwinter, we can expect the prevailing southwest winds to pick up moisture from the lake and conveniently dump piles of snow on our fair city.

Hearty people, Western New Yorkers prepare for the winter months by tuning up snowblowers, storing garden furniture and checking our car emergency kits.

No one here thinks — despite El Niño and global warming — that winter won’t visit this year. Like on Game of Thrones, we know winter is coming.

For the past few years, the economy has improved. 2016 brings some uncertainty, however, with a presidential election and hints of slowdowns in certain sectors. The economy has seasons also – and it doesn’t rely on the calendar.

No one wants to revisit the blustery conditions we all faced in 2009, but looking back we here at BARQAR know that those who prepared, who looked to the future and who made no assumptions made it through the last financial storm best.

Whenever the next downturn comes and no matter how much change it brings to your industry, you can prepare in advance to withstand the tempest.

Talk to the trusted advisors at BARQAR to winterize your business:

Reputation management:  When the next cold winds rise, you can protect your brand with online reviews superior to your competitors. Having five-star ratings across review sites will keep you warm like the fleece blankets we keep in our cars!

Modernize your website: During a Buffalo blizzard, reports of old junkers lining the highway fill the evening news and their owners wish they had tuned up their car or traded it in for a newer model. Take a look at your current website. Is it accurate? Is it professional? Does it represent you? Does it give the impression you need it to when competition becomes fierce? Is it designed to maximize response?

Get found: Many of us have reflectors and flares in our emergency kits for that once-in-a-century storm. If you get stranded, you need to be found. The same goes for your website. Even the most feature-rich website will passively sit in its corner of the web if you don’t bring traffic to it. Take advantage of our SEO, social media and email marketing expertise and ensure that the clients and candidates who will rescue you can find you.

Build your shelter…before you need it: When the blizzard arrives and the store shelves are bare, it’s too late to take action. Now, while times are good, is the best time to get aggressive about broadening and deepening your client base. Through direct marketing and ongoing nurturing, we can help you to strengthen the relationships you have with your existing clients and open doors with more prospects.

Now, I don’t want to sound like a prognosticating weatherman hyping the coming snows in an effort to boost ratings, but keep in mind that we’ve seen this before and we will likely see it again. Better to be prepared than be the guy trapped on the side of the road for 15 hours rationing mints and his leftover lunch waiting for someone, anyone, to show up.

Give us a call and we’ll help you prep your emergency kit.