Unsure how to get a revenue boost before the year is over? Tweaking your marketing to take advantage of the holiday season could be the answer.

From a marketing standpoint, the holidays are important. After all, people are always more willing to spend money on holiday deals, even more so in today’s environment. The convenience that online shopping brings entices more people to do it.

And data backs this up.

General eCommerce sales were up 32.5% in 2020, while brick-and-mortar sales saw a meagre 2.2% increase. 

An Australia Post eCommerce Industry Report showed that in 2020, around 5.5 million Australian households did online shopping. Those transactions accounted for $50.56 billion in 2020. Of that, almost $320 million were attributed to Black Friday sales. And compared to Black Friday 2019, the 2020 pandemic Black Friday saw a 42% growth. 

And that’s just one holiday. 

Cyber Monday was also massive in 2020, with sales growing by 15.6% from the previous year, according to eMarketer.

In a report published by Google, it’s been said that up to 80% of Aussies tend to start thinking about which gifts to buy way before December hits. This means that there are fewer last-minute shoppers to target. Hence many businesses have started offering deals early.

Note that even before the global pandemic, eCommerce and online shopping have been steadily growing in popularity for at least a decade.

Bullish 2021 predictions expect eCommerce holiday sales to grow by at least 11%. Retailers will soon face the most competitive peak season so far.

Are you ready for it?

This article will discuss the five marketing tips that will ensure your business is ready to dominate once the holiday season starts.

The Five Tips

Tip #1 – Do Audience Segmentation

The concept of audience segmentation might not have the best ring to it in today’s environment. But in terms of marketing, niche targeting has always been one of the core elements of a reliable strategy.

So, get ready for the holiday season by narrowing down your audience even more. It will help you save money and get a higher return on your ad spend. 

Audience segmentation also ensures you can generate leads with a higher conversion potential and even increase your number of long-term followers. Remember, the higher the customer lifetime value, the easier it is to grow your business.

Now, when it comes to niche targeting, two things can help you gain an advantage:

  • Personalised messaging
  • Improved SEO

Prior to the holiday season, take this opportunity to reengage existing customers and clients with tailor-made messaging. Simultaneously, revise your SEO strategy and tweak it to fit the holiday market to boost website traffic substantially.

It’s also worth pointing out that people get overwhelmed with hundreds if not thousands of ads each day. It gets even worse around the holidays. Thus, it’s important to create targeted messaging that resonates with your audience during this period to avoid having your ads dismissed.

Tip #2 – Use Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing isn’t a new concept; it’s been a driving force behind eCommerce sales for years. 

Of course, not every business can partner up with the top influencers in their niche. However, micro-influencers are also worth considering, as they have great engagement and conversion rates. 

A Forbes study backs this up, as it showed that even influencers with just thousands of followers can secure engagement rates of 60% or higher. This is great news if you’re looking to take advantage of these partnerships in the 2021 holiday season. 

Micro-influencers have enough visibility, authority and are more affordable to work with. Besides, consumers turn to influencers like them for direction, even more so during the holidays.

Tip #3 – Roll Out Video Ads

Your potential clients and customers generally prefer video ads. After all, they’re more engaging and inspire confidence.

Therefore, to truly maximise your holiday marketing campaign, you shouldn’t rule out publishing video ads on YouTube, Instagram, and other platforms.

It’s a great way to raise awareness for your offering and to generate more leads than you would during any other time of the year.

Tip #4 – Early Advertising Is Your Friend

There’s a popular phrase that says that the early bird catches the worm. It couldn’t be more accurate from a marketing standpoint, especially around the holidays.

As mentioned, people start shopping very early – it’s even more true now. At the very least, they’re identifying the products and services they want and the brands they trust.

That said, your holiday marketing campaign shouldn’t go live a week before a major holiday for two big reasons.

First, having a strong and consistent online presence keeps your brand in the customer’s mind. Secondly, CPCs and general ad costs get more expensive as you approach peak season. Therefore, you want to take advantage of lower marketing costs to boost your ad revenue.

Tip #5 – Leverage Mobile Ordering

Salesforce indicates that more consumers order directly through social media platforms than ever before. Mobile ordering, in particular, is on the rise and seems to enjoy popularity around Christmas as well as during Cyber weeks.

So, what does this mean for you?

It means that your holiday marketing campaigns won’t be effective if you don’t fine-tune your website to offer a great mobile experience. 

The fact is that mobile traffic shares skyrocket during the holiday season. That’s why your website has to offer the best online shopping experience possible to get more sales. 

Also, some social media platforms now also allow customers to directly purchase from their apps. So, ensure that your accounts on such platforms allow your audience to do just that.

Holidays Are Amazing Opportunities To Grow

Halloween, Black Friday, Christmas Day, Cyber Monday, Thanksgiving…

Any holiday presents a perfect opportunity to boost your sales and gain loyal followers for your business. In fact, many of your potential clients perhaps wait for the holidays to buy something they need.

Why?

Usually, holidays are associated with great deals that allow consumers to save money. But in reality, you’ll find that people actually spend even more during the holidays, especially when they shop online.

So, suppose you’re looking to increase your revenue towards the end of the year. In that case, it might be time to revisit your online marketing strategy and give it the overhaul it deserves to take advantage of holiday customers.

If you’re looking for more ways to level up your marketing efforts, we can help. Don’t hesitate to contact GMS and schedule a free consultation.