With the holiday season just around the corner, it’s important for businesses to capitalize on this active time of year. Everything from electronics to fashion will be flying off shelves or be shown as “sold out” on websites. This is, of course, provided businesses effectively promote. This is where holiday marketing comes into play, and to say that it plays a role in success would be an understatement. In fact, this is one of the many areas Internet marketing companies specialize in. To accomplish holiday marketing at a high level, here are 7 steps to take.
Develop a plan. At the onset, a business must develop a holiday marketing plan. There are several questions to ask during this process. What are the key items that a business is looking to sell? How many sales can they expect during the holiday season? Is there certain language that should be used to better appeal to shoppers? For newer businesses, building a holiday marketing plan will seem like a daunting task. For companies that are unable to conduct promotional practices in-house, it may be in their best interest to look into third-party agencies.
Be personal. The holidays bring people together, spreading warmth and kindness. This sense of holiday cheer should be applied to one’s marketing efforts; one of the ways this can be done is by being personal. A mass email with a standard template is unlikely to move the needle, as recipients may believe they’re being focused on without any regard for their interests or goals. However, when messaging comes across as personal, even if it’s a matter of using the recipient’s first name in the subject line of an email, it can make a difference.
Implement sales and coupon codes. A surefire way to catch a user’s attention is by dangling a proverbial carrot in front of their face. This is where sales and coupon codes, which are part and parcel to the holiday season, come into play. Most retailers price their items competitively, especially if they specialize in ecommerce. However, prospective buyers can be persuaded that much more with a nudge in the right direction. Any decrease in price or code that makes said price more affordable can make the difference between a transaction being completed and a shopping cart page becoming abandoned.
Create engaging content. With so many companies vying for traction in the digital space, content is the name of the game. To be more specific, engaging content must be created. It may include the aforementioned sales and coupon codes, but the overall design of the content must be taken into account. To expand on this, if an email marketing agency crafts a newsletter, one of their goals is to make it as welcoming as possible. This will increase the likelihood that a user will not only read the newsletter but complete certain actions such as clicking on a link or signing up for upcoming holiday deals. When content speaks to the user, it performs better.
Take advantage of digital showcases. One of the results of the COVID-19 pandemic has been fewer people shopping in person. Many people have opted to shop online, and while this yields several benefits, they won’t have a full understanding of what they’re shopping for. This is where digital showcases can prove useful. These allow shoppers to see products at every angle, and even in action, without leaving their homes. If businesses have the means to hold digital showcases, appealing to potential buyers, they should contemplate doing so.
Display gratitude to shoppers. Consider this: you’re working in a competitive industry, which is even truer in the digital age we live in today. A shopper could have taken their business anywhere and they decided to work with you. For this reason alone, it’s important to show gratitude. There are several ways that this can be done. A simple “thank you” email, which can be sent after a purchase is made or as the holiday season is about to the wind down, can do the trick. If there’s anything that rings true regarding the holidays, it’s that the smallest acts of kindness matter.
Know that holidays aren’t tied to specific time periods. When the average person thinks of “the holidays,” oftentimes they associate the term with Black Friday leading up to Christmas. This isn’t the case, as holiday marketing can be applied year-round. Of course, different facets must change. Whether it’s for Valentine’s Day, Easter, or what have you, everything from language to content must speak to each season. It would be a lie to say that holiday marketing is only effective for a few months, or even a few weeks. Leverage each major holiday for the best results.
About fishbat: fishbat is a full-service Long Island SEO and marketing agency. Utilizing the latest technologies and forward-thinking strategies, fishbat is able to create marketing plans that are tailor-made for specific needs and goals. The services that fishbat provides include, but aren’t limited to, social media management, search engine optimization, content marketing, email marketing, and branding. With these, businesses will be able to market directly to their audiences, increasing traffic, engagement, and ultimately, revenue.
