4 Tips for a Successful Holiday Marketing Campaign

We’re midway through October and Halloween isn’t the only thing on our minds. It’s time to talk about the holiday season and the value of your holiday marketing campaign.

The holidays are a prime time to market to consumers. They are ready to make purchases so it’s up to you to connect, build relationships, and engage to influence their decisions. After all, 74% of retailers say 20% or more of their annual sales occur during the holiday season, which is typically defined as Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day – roughly five weeks of the year. So the sooner you begin establishing a meaningful relationship, the more likely consumers are to choose you over the competition. When it comes to your holiday marketing campaign here are some things you can do to stand out:

1. Focus on emotions.
People are emotional creatures, whether we want to acknowledge it or not, and that plays a significant role in our purchasing decisions. Holiday marketing campaigns have a lot of opportunity when it comes to evoking emotions and it’s wise to use this to your advantage. Feelings of togetherness, friendship, family, and giving back are just a few key focal points worth exploring for a holiday campaign and when executed successfully, they can make for an unforgettable experience. Personally? We’re still not over this 2013 holiday ad from Apple (prepare for all the feels):

2. Create shareable content.
Virality aside, share-worthy content is crucial to a successful campaign, especially when we’re talking about digital marketing. If your strategy doesn’t include shareable content you’re going to miss out, and miss out big. We know that 82% of shoppers seek recommendations from friends and family prior to making a purchase and 67% of those shoppers are more likely to purchase a product when it’s recommended through social media and emails. By creating shareable content, you present consumers with ready-made endorsements; all they have to do is click a button and your product is showcased to those most likely to take their recommendation to heart, and to their shopping carts.

3. Don’t skip online promotions.
Don’t overlook Black Friday. It’s estimated that as much as 70% of in-store purchases will be the result of online research. If your products are sold in-store you need to be talking about them in advance so that consumers know who you are, what you’re selling, and why you’re the best option. Then, when they fight the crowds it’s because they are hoping to leave the store with your product in their bag.

And if your products aren’t sold in stores at this point, we know Cyber Monday is all the rage for online businesses, but don’t disregard one of the biggest shopping holidays of the year. Last year e-commerce sales continued to rise on both Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday with shoppers spending $4.45 billion online. Up 14% from the previous year, Black Friday e-commerce sales brought in $2.72 billion alone. Customers aren’t just banking on the best deals to be in-store anymore; in a digital world they are expecting the emails, digital ads, special promotions, and the ability to shop from the comfort of their own home without the hassle of the crowds. Why wouldn’t you use it to your advantage?

4. Create an experience.
If we’re talking digital marketing, we’re also talking multi-channel and when it comes to your holiday marketing campaign, consistency is a must. From branding to messaging and everything in-between – your emails, website, social media platforms, and advertisements need to have a cohesive look and feel so that when consumers move through your channels they experience your brand instead of feeling disjointed.

Creating an emotional connection to your customers is something businesses should strive for year-round, but the holiday season is the perfect time to begin building new bonds and strengthening old ones. Not only can you form a more meaningful connection with consumers, but personalized campaigns can help give your business a sense of individuality in a sea of options. And it may only be October, but the more time you invest in yourself, the more likely you are to achieve success with your holiday marketing campaign.

If you need help with your holiday marketing, don’t hesitate to contact us! We’d love to help your business navigate the holiday season.