Now that the solar eclipse has come and gone, what are you going to do with those protective glasses? You know, the ones that they could not keep on the shelves prior to Monday, but are now totally useless. You can’t see anything through them except the sun, and who wants to stare at the sun if the eclipse is not happening? What was hot property at the beginning of the week is now worthless.

The same thing can happen to your marketing efforts. What once was hot has now become useless. Why does this happen? There are three key areas where you need to keep a close eye on the reaction of your target market.

Stale message

Marketing has cycles. It would be wise of you to understand that just like the solar eclipse that comes and goes, so goes your marketing campaigns. They have a shelf life. Especially in advertising, we like to use surprise to capture the attention of potential customers. Do you remember the Betty White/Abe Vigoda Snickers commercials? This ad is often ranked among the best Super Bowl commercials of all time. I remember the first time I saw it. The surprise of seeing octogenarians Betty White and Abe Vigoda playing tackle football grabbed my attention – I simply could not look away. Then at just the moment when Betty White insults one of her teammates, she eats a Snickers bar and is snapped back to herself – or I should say himself – "Mike.” This is a brilliant piece of marketing. However, after you know what is going to happen, it starts to lose its charm. The marketing magic starts to wear off. In time, people start to lose interest. Before that happens, you need to change your marketing.

The method has lost its appeal

Just like a message can go stale, so can a medium. Traditional marketing mediums, such as television, are falling out of vogue because they are facing competition from online sources (ie. Netflix) and technology has allowed the consumer to record and skip all the commercials. When a method starts to lose its hold on your target market, it is time to find a new medium.

The time is right

Timing is so very important in marketing, where we are charged with gaining the attention of potential customers and persuading them to buy what we are selling. I have written before about Marketing Mood. There is a right time and a wrong time to approach your customers with marketing for sales. On Monday, everyone was in the mood to buy eclipse glasses. On Tuesday, they were not. The moment had passed, the mood had changed. How do you know when is the right time to market to your customers? It depends upon what you are selling. Some marketing moods are easier to detect than others. However, it all starts with knowing your customers. Become a student of your target market. Observe what they are buying, when it is happening, and when it is not. They will tell you with their action and inaction. Most target markets are on a cycle of interest and non-interest in products and services. Figure out the rhythm and you will get your marketing right.

By the way, if you are truly looking for a place to send your eclipse safety glasses, take a look at this article from Live Science on recycling them.