The time is now for businesses to craft a holiday marketing strategy if they want to take full advantage of retail’s most lucrative season.
To help marketing leaders develop fruitful holiday campaigns, here is a list of three components vital for a holiday marketing strategy.
- Begin with thorough data cleanup:
By the time the winter shopping season rolls around, it will have been a full year since a brand’s last holiday effort. That means that marketing databases have likely become swamped with outdated information and a host of inaccurate leads. As Practical eCommerce contributor Carolyn Nye pointed out, a program “is only as effective as the data you have backing it up.” Campaign coordinators should take the time necessary to clean up databases by verifying emails, changing data points and adding information when necessary.
- Coordinate offers and discounts:
At the heart of every great holiday season marketing strategy is a strong set of targeted promotional opportunities that compel shoppers to buy at first sight. A recent blog piece from Business 2 Community argued that because sales and discounts are so common during the winter months, brands need to take a more personalized approach to marketing, especially in the email domain. Including the names and preferences of recipients in the message can help a brand differentiate itself in this competitive season.
“Try adding a new email to your program prior to the season rush,” explained Nye in her article for Practical eCommerce. “You may find that inserting a triggered email where a gap exists is a good way of helping diversify your overall email strategy.”
- Stay consistent across channels:
Email may still be the big dog of modern marketing, but a brand won’t be able to fully capitalize off the holiday season’s opportunities if it puts all its eggs in one basket. Strategists need to invest some time and resources into strengthening other channels of communication, including direct mail and social media marketing, in order to get the message across to a wide range of audience members. Consumers will find this multi-channel effort more engaging and tasteful, resulting in more holiday sales and post-season business.
As with any marketing initiative, success in the holiday season requires a lot of upfront research and effort. By starting now and incorporating these tips, a brand should have no problem rising above the competition once it comes time to buy.
