As we approach the holiday season, it is important we understand the power of the holidays on our businesses sales. This year alone the National Retail Federation expects sales in November and December to generate $678.75 billion. This is the season for shopping and attracting new customers—don’t miss out on your perfect chance to reach your target audience. Follow these simple steps for the perfect holiday marketing strategy.
Create a holiday marketing concept
The first step in creating a holiday marketing strategy is to create a goal or concept for your campaign. What do you want to achieve this season, and how are you going to do it? Goals can be to increase sales, drive foot traffic to the store, or even optimize your website for search engine results. Once you have your goal, develop a campaign concept for your business that will help you achieve this goal. For example, REI created the #OptOutside campaign where they closed their stores and headquarters on Black Friday and encouraged their employees and customers to spend the day outside. Once you have your concept you can then create a budget for your marketing efforts. Remember how effective the holiday season is on sales. Investing more in a marketing strategy could have a significant return on investment. Creating an effective holiday campaign can help your business reach its set goals for the quarter.
Special discounts, deals, or holiday merchandise
Tailoring your product or service to the holidays is a great way to take advantage of the season. Offering special deals or creating holiday inspired merchandise will help your company get the holiday buzz. Exclusivity is a tactic that specifically works well during the holiday season and creates a sense of urgency for consumers knowing it is only offered for a limited time. Providing holiday deals, discounts, and savings will also attract your target audience.
Brand your holiday campaign
After you have your promotion, it’s time to promote it. Social media is especially active during the holiday season and it is imperative that your brand be a part of it. Not only should you engage in holiday content as a company, you should brand your holiday campaign by creating a special hashtag that embodies your message. 92 percent of holiday shoppers will research and buy gifts online this season, so it is crucial to meet your customers where they are.
Create social media content calendar
Tis the season to be active on social media. Not only is it always important to have a social media content calendar, it is especially crucial during the busiest time of the year. Start early creating posts that you can schedule over the holidays. Before December arrives, spend a day writing copy, taking photos, creating social media graphics, and curating and writing blog posts. Once you have the content ready to go, go ahead and schedule them. This will make social media management easy when you’re the holiday season picks up.
Advertising and PR plan
Not only should you be promoting your brand on social media, you should get your business in front of the right audience. Make your campaign even more effective by advertising on Facebook, Instagram, and even e-commerce sites like Amazon. All of these platforms will be heavily used during this time and it is a great way to reach a new consumer base. Now is the time to use targeting preferences on Facebook to reach a specific audience. You can also use influencer marketing as a way to promote your brand during the holiday season. With an average engagement rate of 3.21%, Instagram influencers could be the perfect platform to promote your product or service. Also, don’t forget about pay-per-click advertising for holiday e-commerce marketing. Have ads ready to go and keywords prepared for the holiday season.
It is no secret that the Holiday season is the most popular time for shopping and purchases. Creating a holiday marketing campaign is the perfect way for your brand to increase sales and gain new consumers. Don’t let your company be left out of the conversation during the holidays.