Black Friday, Christmas and the holiday season are some of the busiest times of the year for brands and businesses. To make the most of this year’s holiday season, follow these tips…
HOLIDAY SHOPPING BEHAVIORS
The most intense shopping days have already begun with Black Friday and will continue in earnest as Christmas and the holiday season approaches. With this in mind, Klarna, a specialist in payment, shopping and banking services, has conducted a study of 11,000 consumers across 11 countries around the world based on online transaction data. Its objective: to highlight their shopping behavior during the year-end period.
This study gives us a broad idea of these buying behaviors, especially for the Black Friday period. Among this information, 5 datas particularly significant for the retail and e-commerce industry stand out:
31% of French people will make between 25 and 75% of their Christmas purchases during the Black Friday period;
43% waited for Black Friday to make larger purchases (electronics, jewelry, furniture) and take advantage of the good deals;
54% of the French have set a global budget before their Christmas spending and 52% already know what they will buy during the Black Friday sales, which underlines the good preparation and planning of the French;
80% of French people prefer to spend their money on Christmas gifts during the holiday season. They are also 59% to prefer going out and eating out and 26% for Christmas decorations.
Concerning the categories of products that the French want to buy in priority during the holiday season:
34% touch food ;
31% beauty;
31% also clothing and accessories.
HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON?
Based on this data, you can now optimize your digital marketing strategy for Christmas and the holiday season. Follow these tips:
ANALYZE THE DATA
Your first step is to analyze and learn from previous performance based on data, especially from Klarna.
Also analyze the statistics on your best-selling products, for example, or the days with the most traffic. By analyzing this data, you can review what you will do again and what you can improve. In addition, you can use Google Analytics to get the answer to some of the important questions that will help you discover what you can improve.
PLAN YOUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN
When planning your Christmas marketing campaign, you not only need to think about a core message and a series of actions, but also the logistics. Think about the resources you will need, both in terms of budget and team members.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERY POSSIBLE DATE
Between Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas and New Year’s, it’s safe to say that November and December are a busy time for marketers. If you want to get the most out of your Christmas marketing campaign, make sure you stay active on all the dates. As consumers increasingly start their Christmas shopping earlier and earlier each year, consider launching offers and promotions well before December if you haven’t already.
SEASONAL PPC: USE GOOGLE ADWORDS
Google AdWords is another great way to ensure your products or services are seen by a large number of people. Be sure to follow these steps:
Conduct seasonal keyword research;
Create seasonal campaigns;
Write seasonal ads;
Monitor campaign performance.
As with SEO, conduct seasonal keyword research and create seasonal campaigns accordingly.
LEVERAGE EMAIL MARKETING
Send emails on specific days this way, customers aren’t bombarded with daily reminders. After all, even if you’re offering a great gift, they don’t want their inbox flooded with too many emails at the risk of being spammed. Here are some key tips for using email marketing this holiday season:
Clean up your list: start by cleaning up your email list;
Personalize your campaign: talk directly to your customer;
Segment: Put relevant messages in front of the recipients most likely to convert;
Analyze cart abandonment: send follow-up emails to people who left items in their cart without finalizing their purchase;
Promote daily deals in real time using email marketing;
Remind them of the benefits of buying online: no more waiting in line or cold, wintry trips to the store… Introduce a sense of urgency to engage a consumer to buy a product now!
MAKE A CAMPAIGN BASED ON EMOTION
Christmas and holiday marketing campaigns involve a strong link between logic and emotion. Family, good deeds and happiness are the key themes of this time of year. For content, take inspiration from the Christmas spirit and infuse your campaign with comfort and joy.
It goes without saying that Black Friday and Christmas are the biggest time of the year for brands and businesses. So it’s time to step up your digital marketing efforts and make the most of this golden opportunity.
