Nov 30 | Categories: Resources

Holiday Digital Marketing Tips & Tricks

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The holidays are just around the corner and, if you take a look around your local Target, it seems like they’ve already been here for quite a while! This year, stay on top of your digital marketing strategy by implementing good seasonal marketing tactics into your advertising—and by saying goodbye to the not-so-great ones.

Tips & Tricks for Holiday Marketing

As the holiday season approaches, businesses are kicking it into high gear by upping their marketing game. In this post, we’ll discuss some marketing approaches that can drive traffic, sales, and revenue, all without breaking the bank.

Update Your Google Business Profile

If you have holiday hours that differ from your normal business hours, be sure to state that online. Update your Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) so that your customers are well aware of your holiday hours.

Put Your Customers at Ease

As exciting and joyous as the holidays can be, there is also the reality of the stress and anxiety that can occur during such a busy time of the year. This is especially true when shopping for gifts. Alleviate some of your customers’ stress by making their shopping experience—both online and in-store—as easy and straightforward as possible.

Offer them resources that explain your products and how they/their recipients will benefit. But always remember that there does need to be a balance. Don’t force your products onto your customers, as this may cause even more stress. Rather, make clear points about why your product is worth purchasing to meet a particular need.

Using your digital marketing to help put customers at ease will make you stand out as a business. The better the user experience (UX) your site allows, the more returning customers you will likely get. A positive UX includes:

• An accessible website that adheres to the needs of all customers
• Easy navigation throughout your website
• A comprehensive and aesthetically pleasing design—this includes design that, when possible, incorporates the holiday season
• Website support for your customers, possibly through chatbots

Alleviate stress for both you and your customers by creating an enjoyable online holiday shopping experience.

Show Off What You Have to Offer

This may take some extra steps—such as making a product video or an interactive site—but it’s worth it when your customers can get a fuller idea of the products you offer. When people can wrap their heads around what they’re buying online, it gives them more confidence in their purchase. They know exactly what to expect and how it works. You could incorporate:

• Product tutorial videos
• A full 360-degree video of what your product looks like
• A list fully detailing your product

In addition, think of your homepage like a display window. You want to pull people into your store or, more accurately, into your website. Create an intriguing homepage that will draw potential customers in and guide them through your marketing funnel to that final *click* of purchase.

Be Clear About Shipping Dates

If you sell a product online, falling behind on shipping, or not being able to get customers their products in a timely fashion, can cause quite the headache. So be proactive about shipping and clearly list your shipping deadlines online for your customers to see.

This means ensuring your website clearly lists dated deadlines customers need to order by for you to be able to guarantee delivery by a certain date. Posting these deadlines ahead of time can help you avoid the holiday hassle of disappointed gift-givers.

Have Fun With the Festivities

It’s the holiday season, so enjoy it! Emphasize the holidays in your social media, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, web design, content, and graphics. You can also use holiday ads to engage with your audience! Some ideas to consider include:

• Create questions, polls, and countdowns on social media
• Make holiday videos about how your mission and vision correlate with the giving season
• Add some *tinsel* to your site by including holiday-themed graphics

Not sure how to do this? Metric Marketing can help!

You’re allowed to enjoy—and not get stressed out about—holiday marketing! If your brand calls for it, decorate your ads with some festive decor.

Here’s What to Look Out For

The hype of the holidays is in the air! As December draws near, here’s what to keep your eye on in holiday digital marketing trends.

Rising Ad Prices

Demand is going to be relatively high this time of year, meaning you will pay more for your PPC advertisements.

In case you need a refresher, pay-per-click advertising is when you or a digital marketing agency create an advertisement based on keyword and targeting research that is shown online to specific groups of people. Whenever someone clicks your ad, you pay for that click. The idea is that your cost-per-click (CPC) and return on ad spend (ROAS) are maximized.

During this holiday season, expect the prices for ad clicks and conversions to be higher than usual. It’s typical for businesses to reserve a budget just for holiday ad spending. If a reserved holiday ad budget is not normally part of your marketing strategy, we highly recommend adding it to your budget.

Get Ready for an Influx

Expect a lot more traffic to your website. This is a great thing! But it also requires a lot of maintenance. Any problems on your website need to be taken care of immediately, meaning you need to have a digital marketing team ready to fix issues when they arise. Things will probably not go as planned, and that’s normal during the holiday season. Just be ready to be flexible and to handle the unexpected.

Avoid These Seasonal Marketing Mistakes

It’s easy to get stressed and overwhelmed working on a seasonal marketing strategy. In these moments of stress, we’ve seen some businesses make mistakes. We don’t want the same thing to happen to you! So while creating your holiday marketing campaign, be sure to avoid these common mistakes.

Start Planning Late

There’s nothing worse than watching your competitors start their holiday marketing when it’s not even something that has crossed your mind. This can incite panic, resulting in sloppy marketing that can hurt your business rather than help it.

Stay ahead of the game by having a plan already laid out so that the execution can happen with ease.

Excessive Email Blasts

Don’t send so many emails that your audience wants to flag you as spam. The holiday season already brings an exorbitant amount of promotional emails.

Instead, focus on crafting well-built, creative emails that will capture your customers’ attention without overwhelming them. An email really does have the power to engage with customers if done correctly.

For an idea of what this may look like, go to your own email. Which promotional emails do you want to open and which go straight to the trash? Be the business that engages with your customers with strong email content.

Big Flashy Promos Don’t Mean Better Sales

Creating a promotion just because you see competitors offering bold discounts and promos does not mean you should, too.

Your holiday promos need to be data-based. Analyze past trends to see how you can offer promotions that will bring in revenue, not lose your investment. If you offer holiday promotions, do so based on your marketing reports.

Some Other Marketing Tips That Put the Bow on Top

For the extra holiday touch, consider the following!

Santa Shouldn’t Be the Only One Getting a Letter

There’s an overwhelming myth that people no longer pay attention to snail mail. However, this may not be the case during the holiday season. If you are a company with a well-established brand and a loyal customer base, stand out by sending them a letter! Postcards, thank yous, and promo codes can both promote your business and let your customers know you care.

Spread the Joy of the Season Through Giving

If possible, consider partnering with a nonprofit that shares your mission and values. Not only will you be giving back to your community, but you will also be communicating to your customers that you care about a cause and are taking initiative through contributions.

Giving back to your community by partnering with a nonprofit organization shows your values and pulls at the heartstrings of the people who share those same values.

If you’re not sure where to start, ask your customers! Go to the source and see what they’re saying about what they want out of your business.

Contact Metric Marketing for Some Holiday Help

Are you having a hard time wrapping your head around holiday marketing (pun intended)? Not to worry! The digital marketing experts here at Metric Marketing are here to help. Give us a call at (734) 404-8714 or fill out our online contact form today. We look forward to helping you add some extra *sparkle* to your holiday marketing strategy.