The holidays are notoriously hectic, but they also allow most people to slow down and spend more time with their families, friends and relaxing. While all of that is fantastic personally, professionally, it’s time to up your game and take a piece of the holiday shopping pie.
In the matter of just a few short weeks during November and December, the American economy sees an astronomical upswing. This coming year, experts project that Americans will spend one trillion during this years’ holiday season.
Business owners globally should be well prepared to launch a correctly targeted holiday ad campaign with the intent to draw attention and drive sales. The process can be overwhelming, but here are five tips to help you get the ball rolling as soon as possible.
Plan Your Holiday Campaign Far in Advance
Most businesses begin planning their holiday ad campaign in September or earlier. If you haven’t started at the time of reading this article, it’s time to brainstorm.
Focus on the holidays coming up, including Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and of course, Christmas. The holiday season doesn’t end on Christmas Day, so don’t leave New Year celebrations out of your ad content.
Utilize the Best Marketing Practices
The rules of marketing don’t take a back seat when it comes to holiday ad campaigns. Take the time to ensure that you structure your holiday ads using the best digital marketing practices available.
Remember, selling your audience on your brand is just as important as selling your services, and you’ll want to continue to utilize the data-backed tactics you’ve been using all along. Whether you do your own digital marketing or you have hired talent, make sure you’re not neglecting your website or email lists, and you’re keeping an eye on your metrics.
When you do this, you can alter your campaign along the way to cater to what your audience is responding to. Maintain all of your social platforms to match the current ad set your running, focusing on mobile marketing and brand identity.
Search Engine Optimization Never Takes a Day Off
If there’s one thing that never takes a vacation, especially for the holidays, it’s search engine optimization. Your digital marketing team and social media management should be working overtime to ensure that your current SEO strategy is ready to adapt for the holiday season.
For flawless SEO during the holiday season, update your keywords accordingly, and turn out plenty of attention-grabbing emails and social media posts that reflect your brand. It can be challenging to stay true to what you represent with such a massive influx of holiday-related content, but you’ll see a more positive response if you remain on track brand-wise.
Make a Customer Service Plan
Many businesses utilize the use of a remote call center and live chats during the holiday season. By putting more people in place to answer customer questions and concerns, you’ll be on top of client inquiries and providing phenomenal customer service.
It’s essential to establish this contact flow as one of the first steps in mapping out your holiday ad campaign. Plan on your campaign being a great success, and put the people in place to handle the influx of sales.
If you feel a call center isn’t necessary, reinforce the live chat on your website and social media channels. You may also want to look into chatbots, so customers can receive an answer right away that assures them you’ll be with them as soon as possible.
Keep it Simple
Chances are, your head is full of ideas, and you’re trying to sort through them and put as many into action as possible. We can’t stress enough; keep it simple. Too much content can overwhelm and confuse.
Instead, focus on keeping your holiday ad campaign centered on what you’re offering and why your customers need it. Holidays are not the best time to try out a new persona or brand voice, especially if you’ve already established a reputation among your customer base.
If major retailers like Macy’s and The Gap Company stick to the basics of marketing and public relations throughout the holiday season, then you should too. Give your customers the connection they’re looking for, and jazz it up with some holiday warmth and nostalgia.
Make or Break Revenue Goals
The holiday season can make or break your business in terms of yearly revenue goals. Difficult competition, saturated markets, and increased online shopping are major holiday stressors for business owners.
By starting early and establishing your ad set, marketing plan, and PR strategy, you can get ahead of the game and earn loyal customers in addition to the ones you currently have.
Remember, keep your client base in mind with every decision that you make. Establish a sense of lifetime value when they choose your brand over others. Stick to the basics, and your holiday campaign will soar.
