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How to Market Around the Holidays

Holidays are always a great time for businesses to tap into seasonal spending spikes. There are endless amounts of benefits to be had from the holiday spending sprees. Customers are actively looking for your products and they’re on a deadline. Time is on your side, but you still need to use to wisely. In order to take full advantage of the heightened buyer environment, be sure to develop a smart digital marketing strategy. There is nothing quite like the rush of Holiday shopping. Avoid the distractions of twinkling lights and stay focused with these tips.

Quick Tips for Holiday Marketing

  • Start early: Start planning 1-2 months away. You want to make sure that you have everything prepared, so that you are not rushing to do something last minute.
  • Promotion Schedule: Have a schedule of when you will be hosting certain promotions.
  • Relate your products and/or services to that holiday: If you can customize your products/services they will be more likely to buy.
  • Holiday message: Tailor your offer/promotion messaging to incorporate a holiday phase or slogan.
  • Pre-packaged, bundled, or theme-based: By already packaging products together you do the work for the buyer.
  • Promote gift cards: Gift cards are always great gifts and an easy way to make a sale.
  • Time sensitive offers: Make your offer expire before the holiday to create a urgency to buy.
  • Make your website festive: Use holiday specific images, photos, icons, buttons, etc to make your website inviting.
  • Holiday event: If you have a local store, host a holiday event. Give a special discount for a specific date and time.
  • Freebies: Everyone loves to get something for free. Have a chance to win sweepstakes or throw something in for free if they spend a certain amount.
  • E-Mail marketing: Create a holiday reminder email to all of your current customers reminding them about the holiday. Add some recommended products to the email.
  • PPC: Send traffic to targeted landing pages with the use of pay-per-click advertising. Use a consistent offer in your messaging.

Make a List, Check it Twice

Taking part in all of these seasonal shenanigans can be well worth it, and even fun. But if you want to maintain a festive spirit, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Know your goals and targets

If your only goal is spread Christmas cheer by singing loud for all to hear, that’s great. It’s a noble, fine goal. But if you’re looking to hit certain bench marks as a result of your holiday promotions, then it’s best to know exactly what that looks like. Knowing what you aim to achieve allows you to dedicate more time and energy into the promotions that will actually help you reach the finish line. Be as specific as possible. Make the best use of your resources by only tapping into the essentials.

Know your products and which to promote

No one knows your store and products better than you do. Now is the time to dive into the microscopic details that make your offerings unique. Listen to your customers. What do they keep returning for? What items elicit the most feedback? Those answers coupled with your knowledge and intuition will lead you directly to the products that will shine the brightest. Once you’ve identified what you want to feature, be sure you have the inventory to keep up with increased sales. We all know what kind of chaos can happen when a popular item is perpetually out of stock. Remember this gem of advice from elementary school: if you don’t have enough for everybody, save it for later.

Have tracking set up to monitor your campaigns

Once you’ve laid out your goals, decked your halls, and started rocking around the Christmas tree, you’ll want to be able to see if everything works. Clearly. With numbers and metrics. Knowing which offers were most effective helps your marketing strategy in the long run. Compare your results with that of your competitors. How do they differ and why? What new pricing or promotional choices can you make in the future? With measurable results, you can count on each Holiday shopping season being stronger than the last.

Joy to the World

Keeping up with the holiday rush can be hectic. But with the right plan, strong goals, and dedicated energy, it can be positive and rewarding. If you’re looking to amp up your digital marketing presence in the New Year, the team at Atlantic BT is happy to cheer you on. Contact us today to learn more about how you can make an impact in an Internet world full of noise, noise, noise (as the Grinch would say). Our teams can collaborate on a strategy that’s both merry and bright.

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