Holiday Marketing: 3 Strategies for the Final Stretch

The holidays in my house bring certain traditions you can hang your Santa hat on: matched stockings hanging by the fireplace, candlelit carol-singing, Mom’s Christmas morning sausage soufflé, and… my brother Dan and I engaging in a whirlwind, last-minute shopping spree.
 
We’re not procrastinators, per se. Just gift-givers of delayed inspiration. Prone to combing already-ravaged aisles for the left-behind, the deeply-discounted, and the giddily gaudy.
 
This is how our younger brothers and beleaguered parents ended up with canned hams, backpacking barstools, and Executive Stress Eliminators (complete with a “bombs-away” sound effect). But our jolly sprees have also yielded bounty that has kept our kids giggling and our wives smiling: a rain of pirate’s gold chocolate coins; bales of cozy, wearable blankets; and the last-in-stock, ultra-special LEGO Ninjago Robot (you have to know where to look).
 
As for digital marketers, you need not fear the passing of Black Friday or Cyber Monday—there’s still time to reach shoppers, even the most deadline-pressed. While publishing your holiday content 45 days in advance will help you harness 90% of online traffic, putting your program out there with just a week to spare still brings in 50% of that traffic.
 
Follow this short list, check it twice, and cue a hearty ho-ho-ho!

1.   Prepare a Place for the Casual Shopper

Although 51% of shoppers say they go online planning a specific purchase, 49% admit they don’t know what they want until they see it. Of those intrepid searchers, 19% say their purchases are unplanned, and 30% are open to inspiration.
 
So, how do you reach those last-minute shoppers? What’s your holiday marketing strategy?

• Create a specific section on your site for holiday shoppers that’s decked out in holiday imagery and themed content. Drive visits to it from search, social, display, and video channels.
   
• Develop your holiday marketing campaigns around keywords that target customers looking for deals, last-minute ideas, and the like.
   
• And make sure your site looks great on mobile—64% of holiday-buying happens on phones.

2.   Roll Out the Promotions in Your Holiday Marketing Strategy

Why does 57% of holiday shopping happen online? Customers cite convenience (77%) and the option of free shipping (72%) most often.
 
In fact, 74% of shoppers say they buy online because they expect a great deal, and 40% say they choose online shopping because of easier access to promotions.
 
So make your value propositions clear to customers in your holiday marketing strategy. 

• Test placement of discount messaging up front in ad titles, description lines, calls-to-action, and callouts. 
   
• Make sure to remind shoppers about when deals start and end.
   
• Let your shoppers know the last day to order for Christmas shipping.

3.   Make Your Content Stand Out with Video

Did you know video content can increase traffic from search results by 157% and boost sales from your site by 80%?
 
The key is resourcefulness. The most useful videos to shoppers help answer questions about your products including how to set them up, how to use them, the most prominent features, and other frequently asked questions.
 
Videos are also the gift that keeps giving: tease them in links from social media and search, excerpt from them to create multiple days of content in organic posts, and anchor them on your website with full-text transcripts and article content, optimized for SEO.

Reach Shoppers, Now!

So don’t fear the holiday rush—harness it, and enjoy the ride into a bountiful new year!
 
If you would like to discuss more in depth holiday marketing campaigns for the 2022 and beyond, contact us here.