Now, it’s time to get started on creating a holiday advertising strategy that will drive your business to the top of your industry. For advertisers, this is the busiest season with holiday campaigns. If you’re lucky, you would have started early this year but it is never too late to start.
Here are 3 do’s and don’ts you should take into account while planning your holiday campaigns.
Do: Work With Micro-Influencers Who Share Your Brand’s Values
Holiday means an abundance of advertisements. Consumers hear brands’ voices all year and the holidays are no different. This holiday, make sure you add another voice to your advertisements with micro-influencers.
In a recent survey of communications professionals published by Cision, they found that micro-influencers are rated more effective than both celebrities and bloggers. Another study found that influencers with 1000-5000 followers have the highest rates of engagement at 4.6%, while those with over one million followers report a much lower 1.39% (Effectiveness of types of influencers U.S. 2020, 2021).
There are many different types of micro-influencers out there, with different target audiences and interests. Partnering with a diverse group of micro-influencers can help you reach a wide range of people and expand your reach beyond your usual following (Schröder, 2021).
Keep in mind that micro-influencers are more likely to be interested in working with brands that align with their values and beliefs. Spend some time researching the work they do and their values before reaching out. Finding a good micro-influencer that has an expansive audience and matches your brand’s value will create a mutually beneficial relationship.
Do: Consider the Complete Shopping Experience
The online shopping experience has evolved dramatically with the rise of eCommerce. Consumers can compare products and prices in real-time and make purchases at their convenience, rather than having to drive to a store (Maguire, 2020). To capitalize on the eCommerce opportunity, brands need to understand consumer shopping habits and provide a seamless online experience that maximizes purchase potential.
During the holidays, if you want to increase the average order value, the easiest way is to increase the number of items in the shopping cart (Maguire, 2020). You can do this by offering bundles or packages if appropriate, and cross or upsell at checkout. Offering gift cards as an upsell at checkout can drive up the order value. If you offer consumers a slight discount for hitting certain purchase thresholds, you can drive up the average shopping cart value significantly. Gift card product fulfillment is easy and creates a reason for future product purchases on top
Do: Utilize All of Social Media’s Capabilities
Social media is necessary for marketing today. The lack of a social media page, or worse, a bare social media page, drives off potential consumers. During the holidays, social media is the easiest and cheapest way to announce specials, new products, gift guides, and more.
This year, use all of social media’s capabilities. Posting on your main feed will not be enough this season, make sure you look at all your opportunities, such as posting on your stories, making reels, livestreaming, and engaging with other local businesses and customers to promote awareness.
Don’t: Forget That Everyone Doesn’t Celebrate the Same Holidays
While there are three holidays during December, the commercialization of Christmas drowns out the others. Take the time to reflect and acknowledge other holidays like Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Most companies have moved towards saying “Happy Holidays” throughout the month, but acknowledging other holidays through advertisements will help build a bigger audience for your brand.
Don’t: Send the Same Message To All Customers
Today, brand managers and business owners have access to more data than ever before. But they need to know how to use that data to create personalized experiences for their customers. Personalization is the next frontier of advertising. Cookie-cutter brand communication just won’t work anymore.
Personalized marketing has been around for a while, but thanks to the recent developments in big data and artificial intelligence, it’s now possible to implement more targeted and dynamic personalized marketing strategies (Schröder, 2021).
This helps build trust with your audience. They feel like they are being heard and understood by the brand. And they can’t help but feel special — even if it’s just in a small way.
Don’t: Forget to Speak to the Gift ‘Buyer’
During the holidays the most important thing might be your ability to speak to the person giving the gift. Gift-givers are focused on how the receiver will feel and the satisfaction of giving the gift, which is the targeting method advertisers should be using. This year, provide a gift-giving guide with new products, packages and bundles, and best sellers.
Maguire, K. (2020, November 18). The top 10 do’s and don’ts for successful holiday marketing. Vujà Dé Digital. Retrieved December 9, 2021, from https://www.vujadedigital.com/blog/top-10-holiday-marketing-dos-and-donts.
Schröder, C. (2021, November 2). The do’s & don’ts of 2021 holiday advertising. Latana. Retrieved December 9, 2021, from https://latana.com/post/dos-and-donts-holiday-ads/.
Statista Research Department. (2021, October 19). Effectiveness of types of influencers U.S. 2020. Statista. Retrieved December 9, 2021, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1196771/effectiveness-types-influencers-usa/.
