Can you smell the pumpkin spices in the air? Yes, it means Halloween just passed. But it also means time has become your worst enemy if you haven’t started your holiday marketing.

The holiday season is an opportunity for brands to connect with their target audience during the happiest time of the year. If you execute proper marketing, it will help your brand stay on top of mind. However, the end of the year can creep up fast without adequate planning, especially for small businesses who have limited resources.

Although 49 percent of brands start their marketing early, small (including non-seasonal) businesses tend to be complacent until crunch time. Their last-minute planning leads to a generic campaign that comes along with plenty of hair pulling. Typically, they fail to take into account data-driven industry and consumer trends. As a result, their marketing performs poorly.

Of course, other business areas demand as much (if not more) attention. We get it. But here’s how you can benefit from starting your holiday marketing now:

Catch the Bigger Boat

According to the 2015 survey by Deloitte, 23 percent of consumers finish their holiday shopping by the beginning of November. If you missed that boat, have no fear. The remaining 77 percent shop starting at the end of November throughout January. But start late, you will miss that one too.

Early Bird Lures Consumers

In 2015, the average shopper spent over $800 on their holiday gifts. In 2016, spending is expected to increase: 44% of consumers surveyed by Accenture said they planned to spend more on their holiday shopping in 2016.

To capture some of this spend, the marketing you do during the holiday is not enough.

It’s the early marketing that will help you establish your brand and create a positive attitude towards your company and products. Hence, by the time you launch your holiday campaign, your audience will be more receptive to purchasing your products over a competitor.

Avoid Last-Minute Budget Adjustments

Reallocating money from other areas of your business can eat directly into your bottom line. If you start planning ahead of time, you can spread your cost over the weeks and even months to come. That way, you will be ready to roll come the second wave of holiday shopping.

Timely marketing is important in order to stand out during the noisy holiday. If you have limited resources and are running against time, let us help you plan your holiday marketing.