It’s the most wonderful time of the year for many people, most especially retailers. Thanks to what seems to be an ever-increasing trend in customer spending on holiday shopping, the period from Black Friday through Christmas Eve are usually indeed the loveliest shade of black in the net profit column.
And let’s face it: If you haven’t already started your holiday marketing, you’re late. It’s okay! There are still several things you can do to get in the festive spirit and take advantage of some guaranteed spending this holiday season. Here’s how.
Put Your Holiday Spirit on Display
If you’ve learned anything by now, you know that it’s never too early to start advertising for Christmas. Some places have their Christmas décor out before the Halloween candy is sold out. What does that mean for you? Your competition is already out there making moves. Don’t let your competitor be all the customer sees, even if it’s early. Update the creatives on your site, add a holiday flair to your outgoing email campaigns, and if you have the time, you could even take new product pictures with a festive background.
Thanksgiving and Christmas have become virtually synonymous with shopping, so why not use that to your advantage? Either overtly or subliminally, the consumer is taking note of all the brands she sees. The more times she sees one, the more entrenched it becomes in her brain. Then, when it comes time to purchase, those brands will come to the front of her mind. Make sure your brand is one she remembers.
Keep Your Content Updated
When a consumer visits your website and sees outdated material, they may assume that you are no longer in business. You need to keep your website fresh and accurate. In addition to putting a festive touch on your website creative, you can also highlight new products and sales. Keep updating blog on a regular schedule with holiday themed content and consider adding personal stories from your own past holidays. Doing these things will not only keep your customers’ attention, and keep them coming back, but it also gives you easy ideas as to what you can share on your social media sites. (See below.)
Don’t Forget Social Media
Remember those holiday themed blogs we mentioned above? People love sharing relatable holiday stories and tips during downtime to keep their holiday spirit stoked. Now is a great time to re-establish a social media presence and spread holiday cheer through your holiday themed blog. The best part is that it has the added benefit of driving new traffic to your site! While it might take a bit more time and effort to build your algorithm back up if you haven’t been updating your social media pages, it is definitely worth the effort.
The powers that be behind the screens on the other end of your chosen sites have decided that the less you post, the fewer people will see it. Therefore you will need to post more consistently for a while to get those numbers up. By the time the holidays roll around, you want to have the largest audience possible as you promote your best wares. People are busy during the holidays, but never too busy to go to their social media sites!
Hold Contests
When people are already seeing higher than normal bills for the gifts they’ve been spending, they’re ready to jump at the chance to get something for free. When it costs them nothing, the line of thinking is, “I have nothing to lose.” And YOU have everything to gain by what you require for the sign up, even if it is just a name and email address. So, take advantage of the extra holiday traffic. Nothing grabs a customer’s attention more than the word, “free.”
The bottom line? Start early with your marketing and don’t stop. The shoppers are out there all the time, so you never know who will see your brand just in time. Of course, since you are upping your marketing game for the season, it is perfectly reasonable to need more help with your company. Little Red Writing is here to help keep your content fresh and relevant. Give us a try and watch your audience grow.
