8 Strategies To Make The Holiday Season Bright! Quick Tips For E-commerce Brands
Have you ever run a promotion during the holidays that didn’t quite match up to your expectations?
That could be because you’re competing with every other company for attention and ad space. It’s much more expensive to buy ads during the peak holiday sales season, especially around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and at the same time, just about every organic marketing channel is noisier than ever. In other words, the odds are stacked against you…
The question is, do you play or do you fold?
If done right, your holiday marketing could have a sizable impact on your annual sales. Millions of people are searching for the perfect gifts and the most enticing offers out there. They are poised to spend their money. You want to get a slice of the pie.
Whether you’ve been planning a promotion for months or you’re just getting around to it now there are a few tricks of the trade that might just save you from having to settle for lackluster results.
Put these strategies on your to-do list if you want to give yourself a fighting chance this holiday season:
1. Segment your communications
It’s always a good practice to segment your communications, so that you can target the right people with the right message at the right time. This is even more important around the holidays when everyone is getting bombarded with marketing messages.
So make your most loyal customers your top priority and find a way to make them feel really special by offering them something you know they really want.
2. Set Your Own Timing
Who says you have to follow the traditional Black Friday sales cycle? Timing is everything, so think about what makes the most sense for your specific business. Many companies have been starting their “Black Friday” sales well in advance of the actual day and carrying on long beyond Cyber Monday.
Consider running your promotion over a longer period or on a day that you can expect less competition — whether that’s earlier to get ahead of the rush, or closer to Christmas day to capture those last-minute shoppers.
3. Use all of your marketing channels
This is not the time to rely on Instagram or ads alone. Make sure that your communications strategy takes advantage of every marketing channel at your disposal. You might be surprised by what channels provide the best return on investment (like your email list…), especially as ad prices creep higher and higher.
4. Start nurturing your email list early
Email is a strong performer for many brands around the holidays, but don’t expect results to happen overnight. Hopefully, you’ve already been nurturing your email list with quality content all year round, but if not, make it a priority to do that now, before making your big offer.
Remember, companies are running their holiday promotions earlier and earlier, so don’t wait until it’s time to launch yours to reach out to your email subscribers. Let people know what’s coming well in advance so that they can prepare and plan their shopping accordingly.
5. Add a pop-up to your website
Don’t forget, your website is one of your most valuable marketing assets, so use it to your advantage.
An easy tactic is to add a pop-up on your site to encourage visitors to take an action that will allow you to nurture the relationship further. Why not invite people to subscribe to your email list to get early access to your holiday sale? This can be done 2–3 weeks in advance of your sale, giving you enough time to build excitement before making your offer.
6. Use creative content to build hype on social media
It’s not easy to stand out from the crowd on social media, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying! Get creative and showcase what makes your product and your brand so unique. Share a warehouse tour on Reels, create some behind-the-scenes content on stories, or simply show the face behind the brand with a personal photo or video. Whatever you do, have fun with it!
7. Consider engaging your audience with SMS or WhatsApp Business
If you’ve already tapped into the power of SMS or WhatsApp, now is the time to use these powerful tools. The beauty of direct messaging is that you don’t have to compete with dozens or even thousands of other brands for attention.
Chances are your subscribers are already fans of your brand, so consider them loyal followers and make them feel extra special with exclusive offers.
However, although this is a great way to reach your customers directly — and perhaps in a more surprising and personal way — if you feel this tactic isn’t right for your brand or you don’t have this type of relationship with your customers, skip it.
8. Create the right offer — one that people actually want!
Have you ever been excited about a sale from your favorite brand, only to realise that nothing you want is actually on sale?
To rise above the competition, don’t just slash prices on your overstock. Aim to promote products that people will actually want to buy them and don’t feel fooled by your promo.
On that note, check your inventory and make sure you have the right stock.
Next step: Getting Started
Well, what are you waiting for? There’s no time like today to get cracking and put these holiday marketing strategies into action. The year will be over before you know it!
If you would like to brainstorm your holiday marketing plan, get in touch for a free consultation.
Originally published on www.the-emms.com/blog on 1 November 2022.
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