Halloween and Thanksgiving are done and now it’s time to grab those holiday shoppers. If you are wondering whether it’s worth the extra effort, these four ideas won't take as long as you think.
Check out these stats from Adept Marketing:
November and December drive 30% more e-Commerce revenue than non-holiday months.
The days from Black Friday through Christmas pull in 50-100% more revenue compared to shopping days throughout the rest of the year.
An estimated, 92% of holiday shoppers will go online to either research or purchase gifts this season.
The most popular time to buy online is weekdays from 12-2 pm and on Sunday evenings.
41% of online shoppers purchased from a new retailer.
Now is the time to brainstorm holiday marketing ideas. Take an hour or two to really engage with your customers during the holiday season.
#1 MAKE A FACEBOOK CONTEST & GET YOUR CUSTOMERS INVOLVED
Here is an awesome example from HotelTonight.
During the holidays, time with family is inevitable -- whether you like it or not. But HotelTonight has a plan to help, by making it easy for holiday travelers to visit family without staying with them. The solution? An easy-to-book hotel room, using the brand's website.
The campaign is widespread across social media. First, there's a Facebook contest, in which followers can share a story of their worst/funniest holiday family memory in the comments. Then, followers on Twitter are invited to participate in the conversation, using the #HotelTonight hashtag.
#2 CREATE AN EXCLUSIVE HOLIDAY SALE
To make your clients and followers feel a little more special during the holidays, offer them some exclusive deals. One easy way to do this is to offer rewards or discounts just for them. Whether it’s a giveaway that’s exclusive to the first 25 customers this Saturday morning, or a 10-20% discount code that can only be found on Instagram, it may just have fantastic results!
#3 USE THEMES, SUCH AS 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS OR A NEW FEATURED ITEM EVERY DAY
Create a holiday-themed giveaway. For example, 12 Days of Giveaways can lead up to Christmas, or 8 Days of Hanukah Gifts can lead up to the Jewish holiday. Each day one lucky customer wins a free item via social media.
The Journal of Marketing says there’s a 20% increase in positive word of mouth when a customer receives a product for free. PLUS you can require a customer to provide their email address to enter your giveaway. You now have a new contact on your list that may become a lifetime customer.
Set the date. Pick a gift to give away for each day. Go to canva.com to create one marketing post for each gift. Create a brief set of rules for the contest. Post the same time every day and market it to everyone you know!
Rockstar created this countdown:
Here’s an example of a daily post:
Once you have all of your ideas in place, mark the items on your calendar to anticipate prep time, research, creation and launch.
#4 SEND A PERSONAL EMAIL & CONNECT WITH PREVIOUS CUSTOMERS
It’s much easier to sell to past customers than it is to generate new ones. Reach out to past customers offering them a coupon or something extra special for being a loyal customer, such as a percentage off their purchase or free shipping.
If you want something more personal than a social media post, send them an email and share a nostalgic story about the holidays or something special that happened this past year. Tap into their emotions, stir up the nostalgia and make yourself relatable.
With a season full of traditions and special moments, you can help your customers with these fun, creative ways that make a lasting impression.
Happy Holidays!