Marketing professionals can tell you one of the most frustrating things is to do great work for someone and then they stop everything because they are entering their slow months. The reason it’s so frustrating for them isn’t just because it’s a loss of revenue but because it’s literally abandoning a strategy at the time when you can make it work for you the best.

The construction industry has recently discovered this fact which is why more and more contractors are focusing on continuing their marketing efforts during the slower months rather than just stopping everything. Before we jump into results, let’s go over the reason why you need to continue, even if it’s with a reduced budget.

The first thing you have to understand about marketing during slow months is competition. The reality is that your competitors are also going to stop or slow down during these months as they look to hang onto as much revenue as possible.

When your competition takes their foot off the gas pedal you need to go faster because it’s your opportunity to either catch up to them or pass them. Focusing on long-term strategies like SEO or building a content base require work being done every month.

Another reason you need to keep marketing during slower months is that your cost per lead will be cheaper now as well as when things get busier again. Think of health insurance companies who advertise in June. They know that the chances of getting a lead are slim but because of the lack of competition they can usually get their CPL down to $10-$20. During open enrollment at the end of the year that same lead could cost over $200.

Ironically, even during open enrollment, the companies who advertised the entire year see a lower CPL because they have a stronger organic presence, brand familiarity, stronger content and a larger following.

Whether it’s because of winter months or something else, you should never abandon marketing during the slow period of the year. It’s an opportunity for you to reach consumers who are either looking for off-season deals or even planning for the work they want done later in the year and getting involved with them early can lead do getting their work down the road when they’re ready to begin.