Hope you’re having a fabulous summer – beach time, fun time, a little playtime in the sunshine. It’s easy to get lazy during this quarter, however there is one essential focus that you need to sharpen this month to bring you and your business future success and that’s what we are going to discuss in this issue.
Welcome to the “Winner’s Circle” newsletter, where today we focus on one of the most crucial aspects of your business calendar—holiday marketing. If you haven’t started planning your fall into winter holiday campaigns yet, now is the time to start! I know it seems odd to address in July, however this is the key time to begin. Successful holiday campaigns need a strong planning jump to best succeed.
Seasonal Campaigns
Leverage Seasonal Events
The holidays present a unique opportunity to promote your services. Seasonal events are not just about festivities; they are prime occasions to engage your audience with targeted campaigns, feel good moments, thank you’s, coupons, discounts, live events, user generated content and connections as well as tips, how-to’s, visual guides, and done-for-you offers.
– Holiday-Themed Campaigns:
Offer special discounts and promotions that resonate with the holiday spirit. Whether it’s Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or the lead-up to Christmas, Chanukah, New Years Eve, and the ever- present New Years resolutions — holiday-themed campaigns can capture your audience’s attention and drive conversions. These need to be visual, fun, and unique. You’ll be marketing in a shark filled sea during this time, so make sure your promotions are memorable, powerful and value packed.
– Tips for Leveraging Seasonal Trends:
Harness current trends in marketing and PR to give your campaigns a fresh, relevant touch. Think about incorporating popular holiday hashtags, creating festive visuals, or partnering with influencers, brands/businesses who align with your brand values. Refresh photos and videos, make sure all visuals are compelling and season appropriate and include variety and delight. Remember not everyone is the same religion or religious at all – speak to connection, gratitude and celebration.
– Countdown Timers:
Create urgency with countdown timers for your promotional offers. This not only adds a fun element but also encourages quicker decision-making among your customers. You can use a variety of promotions and have a variety of deadlines for all of them. Make sure each promotion is clearly positioned so it doesn’t look like you’re marketing the same old, same old each time. This is essential. Try a variety of promotions and experiment to see which your audience responds best to. You can easily use social media to plug into audience likes. Start early so when you do hit prime time – you know what works and have an arsenal of great promotions to pull from.
Plan Early, Succeed Big
Many business owners make the mistake of waiting too long to start their holiday marketing efforts. The holiday season is uber competitive, and early planning can give you a significant advantage. From budgeting to creative brainstorming, getting an early start ensures you have the time to perfect every aspect of your campaign.
Key Steps for Planning:
1. Budget Allocation:
Determine how much you’re willing to spend on holiday marketing. Allocate your budget across various channels like social media, email marketing, and paid ads to maximize reach. Also allocate across the months – and remember you need to warm up in conversation and connection. If you want to be thought of in December, you must be visible in September.
2. Creative Development:
Start brainstorming now. Whether it’s festive email templates or engaging social media posts, having a creative repository ready will save time and reduce stress as the holidays approach. If you follow one tip, make it this one. The more you can address your creative before your busy season, the more you put yourself in the lane for success.
3. Audience Segmentation:
Tailor your messages to different segments of your audience. Personalization can significantly boost your campaign’s effectiveness. This is where social media, email, marketing and publicity can really be of help. Pay attention carefully to who likes what and then turn up the juice when you know your audience has already demonstrated buy in for the topic. Experiment and create a lot to find your winners.
Get Started Today
Don’t wait until it’s too late to plan for the holidays. By starting now, you can create a comprehensive, effective strategy that will set your business apart from the competition.
Contact us today to create your personalized holiday marketing strategy. Let’s make this holiday season your best yet!
Thank you for reading! Here’s to your success.
Margot Black
