‘Tis the season to amp up your marketing game and prepare for a surge of sales. The National Retail Federation says the holidays account for 20% of annual sales. Cyber Monday alone made a record-breaking $9.4 billion in sales in 2019 – a huge jump compared to the $2 billion day in 2017.
More consumers are shopping online in 2020, which means these holiday shopping statistics may only increase. Is your e-commerce business ready for the influx of purchases this month? There’s still time to prepare, and you’ll be glad you did.
Tips for Engaging Consumers During the Holidays
1. Strike Up a Deal
You’ll be competing with thousands of brands online (intimidating, we know) which means you have to provide your audience incentives for choosing your products. From November to January, promote shopping perks such as free shipping, BOGO deals, and discounts.
Make sure to have different offerings throughout these three months to cater to the three distinct holiday buyers: the shopper planning ahead (November), the last-minute shopper (December), and the gift card shopper (January).
2. Spruce Up Your Emails
You probably have specific email campaigns for abandoned carts, new subscribers, and order shipments. Add a bit of seasonal spirit to these messages by creating a holiday focus in the content and design. For example, a graphic of Santa shipping out an order or elves working on a shopping cart request will make your business stand out. Simple but cute changes to mundane emails are a good way to re-engage your audience.
3. Adorn Your Digital Campaigns
Between social media and web assets, your digital campaigns should be completely decked out in merry and bright content. For social media imagery, use themed backdrops, snowy settings, or holiday props to start engaging your audience in the holiday spirit as early as November. These stunning photos can also be used in email campaigns or product pages on your website.
Once you’ve completed your holiday photoshoot, start to create subject lines, product descriptions, and social media captions related to the holidays, family, Christmas carols, and seasonal movie quotes to catch a consumer’s eye mid-scroll.
4. Create Holiday Themed Digital Ads
Instagram ads, Facebook ads, Google ads… these are all great avenues for promoting your business. Online ads during this time of year should specifically target holiday shoppers with keyword searches more commonly used during the gifting season. For example, “gifts for her,” “Christmas decorations,” and “holiday tips” are popular search terms after October. Don’t forget to make the ads just as decorative as your other campaigns!
5. Get into the Gifting Spirit
The holidays aren’t just about sell, sell, sell. It’s also about giving back to the ones you appreciate. And your audience will definitely appreciate a giveaway. Consider devising a social media giveaway or holiday-themed contest right in the midst of seasonal shopping. Not only will this increase your engagement rates, it’ll also build customer loyalty during a time when people are more likely to make purchases.
Giveaways are also a great way to increase your following in an area where your business could use a little more love. For instance, if you wish you had more email subscribers then announce on your business pages that anyone who subscribes before December 1 will be entered to win a prize.
Let’s Get Digital
Social media shopping and browsing has become more attractive to consumers due to the pandemic. Door-to-door shopping may be a thing of the past as more people prefer searching for products through hashtags, email promotions, and newsfeeds. It’s crucial for businesses to take advantage of this trend by staying active on social media, focusing on creating new content, advertising new deals, and engaging subscribers with more emails.
