Don’t Let Your Sales Dry Up This January.
Let’s talk about January. Again! More specifically, Dry January. It’s that time of year when many people commit to abstaining from alcohol, hoping to detox after the festive season and maybe save some money in the process. It’s a healthy goal, and if you’re taking part – we salute you.
But while Dry January might be good for your body, make sure it’s not drying out your business. With the post-holiday lull in full swing, it’s all too easy to let your motivation slip and your momentum fade. Now is the time to regoup, refocus, and ensure your business is positioned to grow – not stall – in the first month of the year.
The good news? There are clear, practical steps you can take right now to keep your pipeline full and your marketing sharp.
Start With A Clear Marketing Plan.
January is a great opportunity to press reset and start the year with a structured marketing strategy. It may sound obvious, but with so many moving parts – from email campaigns and social media to exhibitions and content creation – a lack of planning can quickly spiral into missed opportunities.
Make time this month to map out your calendar for the quarter ahead. Define your goals, align your messaging, and ensure your campaigns are reaching the right people, on the right channels, at the right time.
Reassess Your Social Media Strategy.
Social media remains one of the most effective ways to reach and engage with customers – and it’s constantly evolving. As of early 2025, more than 54 million people in the UK are using social media, representing around 79% of the population.
Instagram continues to be a major player, with roughly 48% of the UK population using the platform, while TikTok’s popularity is still rising, especially among younger audiences.
If you’re in the B2C space, particularly in retail or lifestyle, TikTok and Instagram are ideal for showcasing your products and promotions.
On the other hand, if your business operates in the B2B sector, LinkedIn continues to offer strong value, particularly for professional networking, thought leadership, and industry-specific content. Whatever your audience, now is the perfect time to ensure your brand is showing up where it matters most.
Embrace Video Marketing.
Video content continues to dominate, with its effectiveness showing no signs of slowing down. 87% of marketers say that video content has helped drive more traffic to their websites.
Moreover, 75% of all video views now happen on mobile devices – underscoring the importance of mobile-first content creation.
If you haven’t already, use this month to create engaging, value-driven videos that speak directly to your audience. January lends itself well to content focused on new goals, fresh starts, or highlights from the previous year.
Keep things short, snappy and optimised for mobile – especially for platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels, where attention spans are right but engagement is high.
The Power Of Direct Mail Should Not Be Overlooked.
While digital channels continue to dominate the marketing landscape, traditional methods like direct mail are making a comeback – particularly as a way to combat digital fatigue.
Although many brands pivoted fully to email marketing during the COVID-19 pandemic, recent findings from the DMA show that direct mail can still deliver significantly higher engagement than email, especially when paired with personalised offers and accurate targeting.
Physical marketing has the benefit of being tangible, harder to ignore, and more memorable than an email that gets lost in an overcrowded inbox.
If you decide to use direct mail as part of your January campaign, ensure your contact data is clean and up to date. Accurate data not only helps reduce waste and improve targeting – it can also unlock Royal Mail discounts that save you money on postage.
Optimise Your Ecommerce Experience.
For ecommerce businesses, a well-functioning website is absolutely essential – but it’s only part of the picture. The ultimate goal of ecommerce is not just to facilitate a purchase, but to fulfil it seamlessly.
That’s why delivery – and specifically, accurate address capture – remains one of the most critical aspects of your customer journey.
Integrating an address verification tool at checkout is a simple, cost-effective way to reduce failed deliveries, returns, and customer frustration.
While exact savings depend on the volume and nature of your sales, industry estimates suggest that a verified address could add as little as 3p to the cost of a transaction, compared with the far higher cost of reprocessing a returned item or issuing a refund. In short: it pays to get it right the first time.
Make Data Hygiene A Priority.
Finally, January is the ideal time to give your customer data a clean slate. Whether you’re running email campaigns, direct mail, or outbound calls, poor data quality can harm your results and your reputation.
Outdated records, duplicate entries, and marketing to individuals who have opted out or are deceased not only leads to wasted spend, but could land you in breach of UK GDPR and PECR regulations.
A professional Data Cleansing service can help by instantly identifying and removing problematic records, and by flagging entries listed on the Mailing Preference Service (MPS), Telephone Preference Service (TPS), and Corporate TPS lists.
This ensures you’re not only legally compliant, but that your customers’ experience with your brand remains positive and respectful.
Final Thoughts.
Dry January might mean cutting back – but your business doesn’t have to follow suit. By planning ahead, leaning into the right channels, and cleaning up your data, you can start the year strong and set the tone for the months ahead.
Whether you’re experimenting with video content testing direct mail, or reviewing your ecommerce checkout process, every step you take now helps build a more resilient and profitable 2025.
Keep an eye on Hopewiser’s blog pages and social media for more updates, guides, and insights to help you grow your business this year!
, updated 16th September 2025.
