Online with Dock Line: Holiday Marketing Tips
Get a Head Start on Holiday Marketing Campaigns
If you’re reading this in December, you might still have time to jump on the holiday marketing game—but ideally you’ll want to start planning a couple of months beforehand. If nothing else, take notes for next year and you’ll be set!
Most retail stores start hinting at Christmas in late October. It might seem annoying, but it really works! Half of your audience is probably made up of planners, so it’s never too early to start the conversation about Christmas shopping. However, if you want to start that early, you’ll need to come up with a detailed plan months before that. Here are some things to think about before launching a holiday marketing campaign:
• Decide what to promote
What are your biggest items that you think people will be buying for Christmas? Think through what those items are and how you will market them.
• Create your messaging
You have your brand messaging that stays consistent throughout the year, but try adding some holiday spice to it for a couple of months. Find ways to meet holiday shopping needs or tap into Christmas nostalgia through storytelling.
• Determine your target audience
As you create your holiday marketing message, think about your target audience and the biggest problems they face, or what gets them excited about the holidays.
• Plan a holiday marketing timeline
Some companies like to play on the 12 Days of Christmas, offering something different each day. Think through your timeline and set goals for when each product will be marketed.
Target Your Audience
Who is your main audience? Gen Z, Millennials, or soccer moms? If you know your main audience, think about how you can be the hero of their holidays. Relieve your customer’s holiday stress by making it easy for them.
If your audience is normally the Christmas hostess, offer solutions for planning and hosting in the home. For younger audiences, consider targeting them on platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok to get their attention. Create a gift guide or gift ideas for different family members using your products. For your existing customers, personalize gift suggestions based on their previous purchases and showcase new gift ideas and bundles. When you target your holiday campaign towards your audience, you’ll narrow it down to the customers who are most likely to purchase.
Utilize Email for Holiday Marketing
The holidays are a busy season, and while you might not be able to catch people in person, you can always send emails with offers and promotions. Serious holiday shoppers check their emails to look for the best deals and get the latest news.
A holiday email campaign is a great way to remind your subscribers of your brand, what you offer, and hook them on a good holiday special. Not only that, emails are a great place to turn a sale into a conversation. People are tired of the same old Christmas ads they see everywhere. Stand out from the crowd by saying something meaningful that meets people where they’re at, and offers them a solution during the holiday scramble.
Discounts, Promotions, Giveaways—Oh My!
The holidays are a time for giving, so why not show your customers some love? Discounts will inspire people to buy more not only for others but themselves. If you’re expecting a lot of holiday traffic, you can take the risk of lowering prices for a short time. You could use a single valuable discount or a series of short-term promotions that change weekly. The shorter amount of time your holiday marketing campaign lasts, the more inspired your buyers will be to act.
Giveaways are a great way to promote your product on social media. The secret is to make your followers your advertisers. In order to win a free product, your customers have to repost, share or tag someone else in the comments. This gives you visibility to customers who don’t know you yet.
If you’re not a fan of lowering prices and offering discounts, another option is to offer free shipping. Find a way to excite your customers, even if it’s something small!
Host In-Store Events
While online shopping is convenient, studies show that during the holidays, customers prefer to shop in stores. Your audience isn’t just looking for gifts, they’re looking for a holiday experience. Many people consider shopping a fun holiday activity to do with friends and family.
Use your holiday marketing campaign to invite people into your store and give them the experience they’re looking for with hot cocoa, entertainment and product demonstrations. This is your chance to go big with the holiday decor and window displays! You may also look into offering a gift wrapping service, giving you another opportunity to subtly display your brand with stickers or stamps on wrapping paper.
Tap into Nostalgia
Utilize the holidays as a theme for connecting with your audience. Take them back to childhood memories, when Santa Claus was real and magic hung in the air as we anticipated the best day of the year. Get video footage of your employees sharing their favorite Christmas memories.
If you’d rather not go the sentimental route, use holiday humor to make people laugh! Witty and relatable memes, movie quotes—get creative while reminding your audience they need to buy gifts for their family and friends.
If you need assistance with your marketing this year, The Dock Line can help!
Visit www.thedockline.com or email us at [email protected]
Want to read more articles about digital marketing? Visit TheDockLineMagazine.com/OnlineWithDockLine
