Digital Marketing Strategy for Success this Holiday Season
How brands can be a step ahead with a strategy that meets new shopping demands and customer expectations.
For eCommerce brands, the holiday season is the most wonderful (and busiest) time of the year. Experts forecast a 14.1% increase this year in holiday spending, according to the National Retail Federation. In fact, many consumers have already begun their holiday shopping. A recent survey found that 45% of consumers began their holiday shopping in October last year. So brands… be ready! Marketers want to be a step ahead to meet holiday shopping demands and customer expectations.
First, let’s address the elephant in the retail room – inflation will have an impact on holiday shopping this year. Over the last 12 months, the consumer price index has increased 8.3%. But there is some good news for retailers: 91% of Americans plan to do holiday shopping this year. That’s up from 70% the last two years combined. But this growth will be slightly muted by inflation, with increased 84% of holiday shoppers saying their spending will be impacted.
In the challenging face of inflation, what can marketers do to attract shoppers this holiday season? Here are some tips to keep in mind while putting together a digital marketing strategy for the holidays.
A key to a successful holiday marketing campaign is knowing your target audience. No two holiday marketing strategies are the same, so do what’s appropriate for your brand. For example, do you have Gen Z or Millennial customers? Utilize social commerce to share special offers or holiday promotions. Is your retail business mainly brick-and-mortar? You can benefit your customers by offering creative service options like pick-up instore or curbside delivery.
Customers still remain quite receptive to email marketing. During the holiday season, shoppers typically have little time to research products and find great deals. Emails effectively deliver product information and bargains faster. Here’s a tip on a tip: send emails on a regular schedule to showcase new products, highlight causes, and offer special deals. This approach keeps customers engaged and more prone to make a purchase. Also, an email is still a great way to send a personalized message or greeting.
Speaking of a personalized message, a holiday card is a nice way to say to your customer ‘we appreciate you and your business’. If you want to deepen the connection, consider including a friendly staff photo with the card.
Since holiday shoppers are reliant on search engines, a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign will quickly boost your web traffic. A customized campaign across the major search engines can instantly put you in front of customers who are searching for the goods and services you provide. Tailor your campaign to the most highly searched keywords and phrases associated with your offerings.
Create a webroom! What’s a webroom? It’s basically a showroom, via the internet. Here, holiday shoppers get a virtual look at products from every conceivable angle. It’s perfect for large ticket items, but works great for small retail products too. It’s important to make it easy for customers to access your webroom, where you can boost engagement and spark interest.
Support a charity or cause that ties with your brand and the interest of your audience. You can donate a percentage of every sale to that cause (this may give customers even more reason to buy your product). Also, remember to promote your charitable efforts through email, ads, and social media.
During the holidays, things don’t always go as planned. Brands need to be responsive when certain events happen unexpectedly. Digital teams should act fast to fix any issues that may occur on your site. Also, consider amendments to your customer service, shipping, fulfillment, and operations teams to handle all your orders.
Thanks to eCommerce, it’s truly a small, interconnected world after all. Today, more people are buying gifts which require fast, direct shipment. It’s easy to find a company offering great products, superior service, and free shipping…your brand should do the same. With record-high inflation, free shipping can help shoppers feel good about their purchase experience. For example, over half of shoppers say free returns (58%) and free delivery (57%) are essential to them.
With all the commerce options available, it’s easy for customers to feel overwhelmed and back out of their purchasing decision. This is especially true if another brand has a better offer and provides a better shopping experience. Create a fun, simple, and satisfying purchasing experience so that customers won’t abandon their cart…and your brand.
Though inflation will have an effect on spending, experts still predict a strong eCommerce holiday season. We hope these tips will help your business form a solid digital marketing strategy to help boost sales this holiday season.
But wait, there’s more…
Want to Make Your Holiday Campaign Even More Successful?
Cuker can help! We provide digital marketing strategy and eCommerce expertise proven to increase engagement, sales, and overall holiday campaign results. ‘Tis the season to grow your eCommerce. Let's talk.
