Your digital marketing holiday guide for 2019

Nov. 11, 2019

This paid piece is sponsored by Click Rain.

‘Tis the season for digital marketing. Is your business prepared? Holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve, in addition to events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday, are all opportunities to grab the attention of new customers or retain loyal ones. To get you started, we’ve made a list — and checked it twice — of a few easy ways to get your marketing into the holiday spirit.

  1. Update holiday hours on local listings

Changing your business hours during the holidays is a great convenience for customers but can become confusing if not communicated clearly. According to Google Data (Nov-Dec 2017), the day that consumers searched for “store hours” the most was on Christmas Eve. Keeping your hours up-to-date on your website and your local listings are essential for search engine optimization and a positive brand experience. Consider updating your local listing on platforms such as Google My Business, Apple Maps and other local directory tools.

  1. Stand-out creative

Holiday sales and promotions require fresh creative that not only echo the season but also entice action. But if you want your ads to stand out, consider staying away from the stereotypical schemes that so often saturate the market. One approach could be to tap into the nostalgia of the season in a way that will resonate with your audience. For example, if you’re targeting women of the baby boomer generation, consider black-and-white photography that features a classic font treatment from the 1950s. If you happen to be targeting men of Generation X, consider capturing the essence of their childhood with imagery reminiscent of the late ’70s or early ’80s. Whether you’re blasting an email or running programmatic display ads, creative that breaks the mold of typical holiday-themed promotions can guide your campaigns to new heights this year. 

  1. Target your audience

Holidays are prime time for advertising. Most brands have major holiday campaigns running, which means the competition is at an all-time high. Media cost per thousand will include premiums because many companies are battling to reach the same consumers. Knowing this, use sophisticated ad targeting; don’t target based only on demographics but also on psychographics, like interests. For example, target your dog food product ads specifically to pet owners in a specific geography. Additionally, make the most of your current customers — your loyalty lists — by remarketing or creating lookalike audiences.

  1. Send a compelling email

During the holidays, your inbox can become cluttered with marketing emails. How can you make your emails stand out from the rest? Win at your holiday marketing with list segmentation, timing and content.

Before you hit send, you should segment your email list by interest, favorite products, gender, age, etc., targeting those who will most likely be engaged in your message. Take this one step further by personalizing the email to each segment.

Be sure to pick the optimum date and time to send your email. For example, avoid scheduling your campaign the night before Thanksgiving, when many of your customers may be traveling and unable to see or open your message. Instead, attempt to align your send time within hours leading up to their purchase decision — Black Friday or Cyber Monday, for example.

It’s also essential not to overwhelm your audience with the content of the email. Try to keep each email focused on a singular message and call-to-action, which can significantly increase the success of each email.

  1. Website mobility

More and more, shopping on a mobile device or tablet is convenient and easy to achieve. According to the National Retail Federation (Oct 2019), 73 percent of holiday shoppers plan to use their smartphone or tablet to research or make a purchase this season. Be sure to review your website’s analytics to understand how much of your web traffic is coming from mobile devices, consider any seasonality trends and ensure your website is mobile-friendly to accommodate your audience and their online expectations.

Competition for a customer’s attention has never been higher. Use this digital marketing guide strategically to reach your audience without getting lost in the shuffle this holiday season.

Not sure where to start? Learn how Click Rain can help your organization create and meet its digital  goals.

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Your digital marketing holiday guide for 2019

Competition for a customer’s attention has never been higher — especially during the holiday season. Use this digital marketing guide strategically to reach your audience without getting lost in the shuffle.

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