This is your make or break moment.

The holiday season is here, and it’s a great opportunity for you to make significant sales.

And you know shoppers are relying on online shopping options now more than ever. After all, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, and people are still avoiding brick and mortar stores.

But where do you start? Coming up with a holiday advertising campaign can feel overwhelming.

The good news is, you’re not alone.

We’ve created an easy to follow 5 step plan to get you started on the right foot.

1. Solidify Your Holiday Marketing Plan

Begin by laying the groundwork for your holiday ad campaign by asking yourself what you want to accomplish.

For instance, are you looking to increase your brand awareness or increase social media engagement? Do you want to grow your email list and boost the traffic coming to your website? Maybe it’s a combination of all the above.

Before you can do anything, you’ll need a blueprint that outlines the next steps.

Your holiday marketing plan will serve as a guide as to how you will turn prospects into loyal customers.

2. Take Advantage of Search Engine Optimization and Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

For the best results, it’s recommended that your holiday marketing plan include search engine optimization (SEO) combined with a pay-per-click (PPC) strategy.

You can do this in 2 easy ways:

1) If you are running into low sales and low call volumes, it’s likely because your customers are finding your competitors before they find you. PPC can help optimize your digital marketing by getting more eyes on your product.

2) Incorporate more holiday-related keywords on your website by writing SEO friendly content. That way, when customers search for “Christmas décor” they’ll likely land on a page on your website.

Unsure of which keywords to use with your content? Try using this free tool to find out what’s trending: Google Trends.

3. Sink Your Teeth into Social Media Advertising

Social media advertising is effective because it allows you to reach your customers where they’re at. You can engage with them in a friendly, conversational way that helps build long-term relationships.

You could create a video ad, holiday commercial, or landing page that leads people to your marketing funnel or email list. The trick is creating something that will help your brand stick out from the crowd.

Don’t want to deal with all the heavy lifting? Consider reaching out to a trusted digital marketing agency like Valux for support.

4. Charm Them at Checkout

Let’s face it. Consumers have short attention spans. Make it easy for them to click that “buy” button with ease by making your checkout process short and sweet.

  • Ask the shopper to fill out as little information as possible; the fewer steps, the better.
  • Consider incorporating the option for people to pay with PayPal, so they don’t have to dig around for their credit card.
  • Offer an add-on option for gift-wrapping and a personalized holiday message for a small fee.
  • Send them a confirmation email with a delivery tracker.

And remember, it’s all about the consumer experience.

5. Think Long-Term

Even though the holidays are known for being some of the busiest shopping days of the year, don’t let December 31st be the ending point for your goals.

Continue monitoring your progress over time so you can continue to adapt and improve. Don’t be afraid to try new methods and strategies. You might be surprised at how fast you’ll see positive results.