The Importance of Digital Marketing over the Holidays

Can you believe it is already time to prepare for the festive season? Digital marketing during this busy time of year is crucial if you want to remain ahead of the curve.

The reason for this started when holiday shopping morphed from a relationship-oriented event in a physical store to a task-oriented experience occurring online. Even as retailers adapted to these changing needs, COVID-19 disrupted consumers behavior – reshaping what, when, and where shopping is done. Despite these shifts, online marketing should be aware that the public’s top considerations remain product, price, and convenience.

To stand out from the crowd this December, you will need to double down on your digital marketing efforts.

The Best Online Marketing Strategies for the Holiday Season

Because buyers are so digitally savvy, a hastily thrown together holiday marketing campaign just will not cut it. Marketing strategies must be detailed, precise, and focused.

Website Design

Before reaching out to acquire new leads, make sure that your landing pages and website design is in tip-top condition. Many small and medium-sized businesses don’t appreciate the power of getting the basics right, for example:

• Complete and consistent NAP (name, address, phone number)
• Links to social platforms
• Optimized for mobile usage
• Spam protection form fields (reCAPTCHA)
• Privacy policy.

eCommerce

Not surprisingly, ecommerce hit unprecedented levels in 2020. Even as restrictions ease, the upward trajectory of ecommerce continues with experts predicting it will soar to $908 billion in 2021.

Beef up your ecommerce site to take advantage of this trend.

Keyword Research

The right keywords get you in front of the right people. Know what keywords are used by your target audience and include these to optimize all elements of your digital marketing campaign.

Video Marketing

Recent polls show that 80% of video marketers claim that video has directly increased sales. With a ROI like that, how can you possibly not include video into your holiday marketing strategy?

Combine automation with a human touch. Conversational marketing delivers an interactive customer experience on a personal level. This is particularly advantageous when it comes to holiday shoppers who have specific gifts in mind for only half the people on their lists. Pertinent recommendations on your e-commerce site or sent via text or push notifications can help to maximize the return on your holiday marketing efforts.

Do not stop there! Keep the lines of communication open post purchase, for example order tracking, installation/ assembly/ returns assistance, and holiday FAQs.

Email Marketing

Did you know that email marketing has the highest return on investment for small businesses? Consequently, sending out one or a series of emails this holiday period is a paramount aspect of your digital marketing strategy.

• Use your buyer personas to segment your list and send targeted mails to each of the audiences you serve.
• Craft your content, offers, and designs to steal the limelight from your competitors. Holiday themed emails can showcase gift guides and related promotions. Modify your brand coloring to match the festive season, use an appropriate image as a background, or dot decorations around the layout.
• Counter salesy content with giveaways such as an advent calendar or other festive printables.
• Optimize your mails for mobile.

Mobile Optimization

In fact, optimize all your online marketing for mobile!

User Experience

Reduce the stress consumers experience during the holidays:

• Offer them peace of mind by adding social proof to your website and showing any verified site activity.
• Use retargeting campaigns to keep your brand top of mind when potential customers get distracted. Abandoned carts are the perfect place to start retargeting.
• Use the reach of social platforms to advertise right where shoppers are hanging out. Devise a social media marketing campaign to move buyers down the sales funnel without even having to switch windows.

Test

Before you “eat, drink, and be merry”, test and measure your campaigns using built in analytics. Ascertain which of your products or services and campaigns trigger the best response.

Clever Marketing Strategies for the Holidays

In an ever increasingly competitive retail landscape, make this holiday season your brand’s time to shine! Capitalize on the busiest season of the year by thinking ahead and responding to consumer trends:

• Despite the negative impact the pandemic has had, consumers still want the holidays to be special for their loved ones. Astute marketing campaigns will be empathetic to the concerns brought about by COVID-19.
• Anxiety about crowded stores means that shoppers want contactless options like delivery or curbside pickup. Become the first-choice shop by offering free shipping – or at the very least, run a “one day only” promotion.
• Not only has this altered our spending habits, but also our priorities. Consider reflecting on the true spirit of the holidays by showing customers your gratitude. Give back to your tribe in the form of discount codes to your loyal clients who can pass them on to their friends and families.
• Buying from businesses that are socially responsible is becoming increasingly important to shoppers. Christmas is the ideal opportunity to partner with a charitable organization and run a promotion that combines the holidays with a good cause. The key though, is that you must be genuine about your brand’s role as a global citizen. Even a hint of inauthenticity will be damaging to your reputation.
• Leverage the upside-down nature of the “new normal” to experiment a bit with your holiday content types. Have some fun with your digital marketing and spread the festive cheer – goodness only knows your clients and prospects need, and will appreciate, it.
• This is the perfect time of the year to make use of holiday-themed user generated content. Pure gold, UGC can be as simple as a user review or as complex as a fun photo contest to encourage social sharing.
• Take advantage of this time to develop your CRM so that you can collect as much data as possible before Google ends cookie tracking early next year. Find creative ways to entice consumers to give you their data directly.

Since 2009 KEY27 Marketing has served the Greater Toronto Area, Halton Region (Oakville, Milton, Burlington), Hamilton, Niagara Region, and the Peel Region (Mississauga, Brampton). If you are ready to step up your game this holiday season, we are here to help your business grow through digital marketing. What are you waiting for? Contact KEY27 without delay!