The leaves are turning orange, the air’s getting chillier, and every hot beverage tastes like pumpkin spice. It must be time to give your marketing strategy an autumnal refresh.

While a cold weather forecast is usually nothing to celebrate, the marketing opportunities around this time are something to ‘fall’ for. So, here are 5 trends you should include in your marketing strategy this autumn.

1. Get smart for back-to-school

Whether you’re a student, parent, teacher, or work a 9-5 – everyone's feeling the pinch of returning to normality this September. We’ve had the barbecues, danced the night away and been for a dip in the sea, but it’s time to get back to work.

On the bright side, with more people at their desks, it’s the perfect time to ramp up your marketing efforts. Promote a back-to-school or work sale or special offer, launch a new product or update your landing page with fresh content. More eyes are on your site, as more eyes are on screens.

Let's be honest, pumpkin spice lattes are popular, whether you like them or not. Searches for ‘pumpkin spice’ increased by 19% between 2021 to 2022 and, unsurprisingly, ‘pumpkin’ was named the top autumn keyword, garnering 116,000 searches between August and September alone.

While it may be a little gimmicky, jumping on that bandwagon is a pretty good idea. Try sprinkling popular seasonal keywords into your everyday copy. Or, perhaps launch a Halloween-themed campaign to maximise engagement. And have fun with it! It's a time for ghosts, witches, pumpkins and so much potential marketing visuals!

3. Leverage user-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) has slowly climbed the ranks to become one of the most effective marketing tools in our arsenal. 89% of consumers look at external reviews before purchasing a product – and many buy items they didn’t even know they needed simply because the right person promoted it.

Social media could become your best friend, with the growing popularity of new platforms like Threads, Mastodon, and BeReal. UGC could help separate your product from the crowd. Just be sure that the partnered content you create adds real value to your strategy, as consumers will see straight through low-effort cash grabs.

4. Who said AI was impersonal?

Everyone is talking about AI – and rightly so! With the recent launch of Microsoft Copilot, artificial intelligence is growing. And this includes marketing. No, we’re not suggesting that you replace your copywriters with ChatGPT. But there are a few ways AI can add some pzazz to your marketing strategy.

Try adding natural language processing into your customer communications. Whether it’s an email newsletter or chat function, you can tailor your communications in real time based on the users’ needs. Let your marketing team spend less time putting out fires and more time working on the bigger picture.

5. Get real with BeReal

While everyone was busy talking about Threads, BeReal managed to cement its status as one of the top new platforms this year. Usage has already spiked 313% in 2023, with many drawn to the app’s chaotic, spur-of-the-moment content – all without the intrusion of ads.

And despite its massive popularity, too few companies are capitalising on this. But why not join in on the fun? It’s the perfect opportunity to showcase your brand’s personality and provide realistic insights into what life is like behind the scenes.

Let us do the hard work

Giving your marketing strategy a seasonal refresh is essential, but we know you have other things to be getting on with. Luckily, with our Online Marketing Suite, you can stay on top of all the latest trends without lifting a finger. Get live updates on how you're performing, improve your SEO, create and manage ads easily and list your business where it needs to be seen with one click.

Find out how you can spend more time sipping pumpkin-spiced lattes and less time worrying about marketing by getting in touch with our expert team.