Marketing during the holiday season presents a unique challenge for businesses. With demand surging during this time of year, businesses have the opportunity to capitalize on increased consumer spending. This can seem daunting to all business sizes in all industries, but with the right preparation, you can be sure to make the most of the holiday season and end the year with a bang.
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Consumer Behavior Changes Drastically
“During the holiday season, people are looking to buy and buy and buy some more. Nowadays, business-to-consumer ecommerce sites benefit heavily from the holiday season. This is because ecommerce sites have everything people are looking for in one place and allows them to buy everything they want all at once. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas all being around the same time creates a perfect storm of opportunities for ecommerce sites to boost their marketing. Companies should be investing a good portion of their advertising budget during the holiday season because of how many more people are looking to purchase goods for either themselves or others. Advertising becomes more expensive during these times but it is worth the extra expenses because of the potential profit that comes from the holiday season. It is best to take advantage of this time of year since after it is over, consumers will not be looking to make a lot of purchases for quite some time. Put yourself in the shoes of the consumer. They are looking for solid offers on goods and services, with the intent of purchasing multiple things at once. The holiday season is one of the eBay times to bring out your best offers and invest in as much advertising as possible.”
Joe Acosta,
Digital Marketing at BBQ Galore
Utilize All Your Social Media Platforms
“With the holiday season here, be sure to utilize all of your social media platforms, not just your website. A lot of companies fall into the trap of funneling all their focus into one platform, but widening your focus to all your social media platforms will boost the number of people viewing your products by even more. Pretty much every ecommerce website will see a boost in traffic due to consumers wanting to purchase many different items, but you can get even more traffic by utilizing social media platforms to funnel people to your website. This is the time of year to utilize as much of your advertising budget as you can and spread that advertising across as many platforms as you can. The rise of the internet has given companies so many useful tools to boost their traffic and if people want to see how valuable social media is, utilize it to promote your products during the busiest buying time of the year.”
David Ring
Senior Marketing Manager at MCT – Trading
Make Advantage of Promotions and Discounts
“We might not notice it, but the Holiday season is the biggest shopping season for most retailers. They put up most of their marketing effort in this time. Marketing during the Holiday season is very different from the regular season. During the holiday season, promotions and discounts are popular. Discounts and promotions make it very important to plan your marketing strategy in advance to take advantage of them. The best way to do this is to research and discover the best times to advertise, the best days for advertising, the best discounts, promotions, and social media and email marketing tactics. It would be best if you did some marketing research among your competitors to see what promotions, discounts, tactics, and campaigns are working for others. This will give you a great insight into how your competitors work and allow you to beat them!”
Jacob Dayan
Co-Founder & CEO at Community Tax
Offer Free Shipping
The holiday season is the one time of the year when almost everyone is looking to buy gifts for their family, friends, and loved ones. Whether you run a pop-up store, a department store, or a shopping mall, you are probably busy preparing for the upcoming holiday rush. The first thing to remember while marketing during the holidays is that it will be very crowded, so you need to devise a strategy to help you stand out from the crowd. You need to make your products more affordable and offer free shipping. Many online businesses do not offer free shipping, thinking it will draw customers, but that’s not the case. It would be best if you offered free shipping during the holiday season to capture the attention of potential customers. Many wholesale companies offer designer products at affordable prices. It would help if you tried to sell these products during the holiday season to reap the benefits of the holiday season.
Bill Lyons
Head of Marketing at Colorescience
Costs for Digital Ads Increase
“The holiday season is marked by a few huge retail events – Black Friday and Cyber Monday at the end of November and Christmas at the end of December. As such, these are events that many B2C businesses must take advantage of to reap the full benefits of consumer sales. Many businesses will increase their ad spending budget to put out more ads that are specific to these events in order to reach more consumers. Due to the higher demand for digital ads during the holiday season, the auction prices for ad space increase during this time as well. Not only will you do more digital advertising during the holidays, but you can also expect to spend more money than usual for your advertising.”
Bill Lyons
CEO of Griffin Funding
Crowded Advertising Space
“During the holiday season, most brands are running more marketing campaigns than normal to prepare for the influx of buying. This creates more competition in the advertising space that companies should consider when curating their marketing strategy going into the holidays. Not only do the holidays bring fierce competition but they also provide an opportunity to stand out to new customers. Finding a way to stand out will look different for every industry but it is vital to come up with new ways that will bring in customers whether it be promotions, free shipping, events, or eye-catching advertisements. Understanding consumer behavior and planning for the holidays will ensure your marketing strategy is prepared to attract attention from new and returning customers.”
Jeffery Pitrak
Marketing and Account Manager at Transient Specialists
Change In Creative Strategy
“Your business is likely to have to change its creative strategy to stay relevant and above your competitors during the holidays. While your regular creative strategy through advertising and social media campaigns may work and stay consistent throughout the rest of the year, the holiday season is the one time when you should adapt. As many other businesses are telling their brand’s story through a holiday lens, your business must also shift toward reworking your campaigns to fit with the holiday season. Of course, your campaigns should also align with your brand’s core message and use that to your advantage. The holiday season is a time where your business needs to go all out in revamping its creative campaigns.”
Jonathan Krieger
VP of Sales at Fabuwood
Increase In Online Purchases
“Online e-commerce has increased in recent years, and with the holiday season, businesses can expect more online traffic and sales to commence. Businesses need to take advantage of online channels such as social media and email marketing to get customers where they are and get them to your online store. In addition, they must also prepare by ensuring their website is accessible to all users across all platforms to make for ease of use. Many users are flocking to online stores to make purchases due to the pandemic, to avoid crowds, and for the overall convenience of making purchases from their own homes. During the holiday season, your marketing should take advantage of the growing desire to shop online and meet your customers where they interact with your business.”
Sacha Ferrandi
CEO and Co-founder of Source Capital
Increased sense of urgency
During the holiday season, businesses ramp up their marketing efforts to take advantage of the spending spree that comes with it. One of the most effective ways to do this is to create a sense of urgency. Consumers are more likely to act on impulse during the holiday season, so businesses need to ensure their marketing messaging reflects this. Creating a sense of urgency can be as simple as using language that implies a limited time frame or scarcity. For example, a store might advertise a holiday sale with the message, “Hurry while supplies last” or “Hurry, this promotion ends December 11th!” This encourages customers to come in and shop before the best items or offers are gone.
Faryar Borhani
CCO of Midland Credit Management
Online Shopping Will Beat In-Person Shopping
“Going to the mall and shopping is a thing of the past. People want to be able to find everything they want as quickly as possible and the internet is the one palace they can do that. With that being said, online traffic during the holiday season will have a dramatic increase, therefore companies need to be prepared with their best offers and sales during this crucial time of the year. Prices will be competitive since every other company will also be having sales, so this is the best time of the year to be as creative as possible and pull out all your creative weapons. Do research on what products visitors to your site are looking at the most and put those products center stage with good sales around them. The quicker consumers can find what they are looking for, the more revenue you can potentially make. Website optimization during this time of the year is very important and can make or break you.”
Lindsay Morris
Community Outreach Manager at Canvas People
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Should Not Be The End Of Your Best Sales
“Before the time of the internet, Black Friday was the one day where the best sales were available for one day and then they were gone. Then the internet came along and they wanted a Black Friday type of day for internet-based companies and thus Cyber Monday was born. Nowadays, companies will be having Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales for an entire month which means companies who utilize this time of year to offer their best discounts for an extended period of time see growth in revenue. It is smart to stretch out when you plan to offer your best offers and sales. It does not have to be the same sale or offer for the entire time, you are free to change up what you are offering throughout the course of the holiday season, but do some research on what the majority of consumers are looking to purchase from your website and palace those items center stage. This is the time of year to offer free shipping, buy one get one free, etc. because there will not be as much online traffic until the next year, so go all out.”
Lev Berlin
Founder of Recipal
Have Enough Supply and Demand
As everyone gears up toward the holiday season we all anticipate the upcoming sales and shopping sprees. Whether you are buying one gift or multiple gifts, you will always know about a good deal going around during the holiday season. Although people anticipate sales such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and days leading up to Christmas it’s important that each business has enough supply and demand.
With the helpful hand of influencers, more businesses are getting a stronger platform and audience. However, with the extra assistance with influencer marketing, businesses need to ensure they have enough stock. Although selling out can bring a multitude of success, you don’t want to run out before December even hits. Therefore, by using the right influencer measurement tools, engagement tools, and other data metrics you should ensure that a sell-out won’t happen and everyone can purchase your product.
Brandon Brown
CEO of Grin.co
Create a Message Across To The Right Customer
“The holiday season is a busy time of the year for marketing and promotion. This is when brands have to pull out all the stops. The direct marketing area will significantly increase the volume of mail during the holidays, especially for companies selling to high-spending customers. Brands will find ways to get their message across to the right customer. This is done through direct mail advertising, and the most effective way is to use the correct list of prospects. There is also a trend towards using the internet and search engines to communicate the message. The most likely customers are those with the most needs for the product. It is a good idea to start the marketing campaigns far ahead of the holiday season. This will help you to get your message across to the right customer. Be sure to use the best products for the campaign. The holiday season will be a busy time for companies in the marketing area.”
Clayton Howard
Director of Analytics at Net Pay Advance
Change Spend Pattern
“The holiday season is a time when many people’s spending patterns change. Some people spend more money during the holidays, while others cut back on their spending. Marketing campaigns also fluctuate during the holiday season, with some companies increasing their marketing efforts and others reducing them. There are a number of reasons why people’s spending patterns change during the holiday season. For some people, the holidays are a time when they have more money to spend. This may be because they receive bonuses or gifts from family and friends. Others may cut back on their spending during the holidays because they are trying to save money. Marketing campaigns also change during the holiday season. Some companies increase their marketing efforts during this time, in order to take advantage of the increased spending. Other companies reduce their marketing efforts during the holidays, in order to save money.”
Hilary Kozak
Vice President of Marketing LivSmooth
Focusing on Creating Content and Ads
“Due to competition, marketing can fluctuate during the holiday season. Local businesses will increase their marketing efforts in December, as well as larger companies that see a significant spike in sales compared to their other months. While the increased competition for holiday dollars can be a good thing, it is also a challenge. Competition can drive costs up and make it harder to keep your budget intact, especially regarding new and emerging ad platforms. So it must be different yet relevant is going to succeed. It must come at this head-on and put forth a solid campaign. The key is to create content and ads that can be used repeatedly; the content does not have to be about the holidays, but it needs to be relevant content that relates to your audience. Holiday marketing should not be about the specific days of the holiday season, but it should be about the message you’re trying to deliver to your target market.”
Riley Walker
Outreach Specialist at Mrs. Fields
Brand Collaborations and Partnerships
“Collaborations and partnerships between brands during the holiday season can be a powerful strategy to expand reach and impact. By joining forces, brands can engage in cross-promotion, joint marketing campaigns, and co-branded events. This allows them to tap into each other’s customer base and create a more compelling offering. Collaborations also provide an opportunity to leverage the festive spirit and create unique experiences for customers. By working together, brands can spark innovation, share insights, and develop new products or marketing strategies.”
Rubens Basso
Chief Technology Officer, FieldRoutes
Take Advantage of the Weather
“The holiday season is a significant time for almost every business. The reason for this is the way that goods and services sales fluctuate throughout the year. For example, when the weather outside is colder, people are much more likely to heat their homes. Therefore, they need to buy their heating fuel. When the weather is warmer, people are much less likely to turn on the heat and buy less heating fuel. There is a general trend for people to spend more money when they are in a good mood, which is true when it is cold and snowing. During the holiday season, people are in a perfect mood. Therefore, they spend more money than usual on all goods and services. It is common for businesses to take advantage of this season to make a large percentage of their annual profits.”
Gregg Dean
Co-Founder and CEO of Layla Sleep
Companies Utilize Mobile/Phone Marketing
“SMS marketing, promotional phone calls, and mobile marketing have become some of the go-to marketing strategies for all kinds of businesses in the last few years, and the holiday season only amplifies these tactics. All companies will strive to create mobile-friendly email marketing campaigns and optimizations for their online web stores that will undoubtedly be tailored to bring in customers with holiday spirit and design. It’s a wonderful idea for all companies to use SMS messaging for holiday marketing via text, as you can send customers links to click on and go directly to a product page on their phones. You can even take this a step further and send them texts, or prerecorded calls, with specific product links that they have recently searched for on their accounts or based on links they’ve clicked from emails or ads. Also, adding some sort of personalized content or message with texts can be great to build rapport with your customers and they will be more likely to visit your website early next year or for the next holiday season.”
Chris Hunter
Director of Customer Relations at Service Titan
Seasonal social media posts and ads
The holidays are a time of year that many businesses look forward to. Marketing during the holiday season is similar to any other time of the year, but there are some critical differences in how businesses approach the holidays. Seasonal social media posting is one of the things that separate marketing during the holidays and the rest of the year. Businesses create posts and run ads that use themes that align with the holiday season, such as Christmas trees, snowmen, and Santa Claus. By catching the reader’s attention using these elements, social media posts and paid ads can generate awareness about products and services, increase customer engagement, and boost sales. With this opportunity for growth, you see many businesses ramp up their content production during the holidays.
Todd Jensen
Head of Marketing at Nursa
Builds up Anticipation:
“The holiday season is the perfect season to build up the ultimate anticipation. With so many different stores and companies offering different deals, shoppers really have a lot of wiggle room for where they would like to spend their money and what they would like to spend their money on. While consumers do have the upper hand to choose where they spend their money, many companies build anticipation with their organizations as they know that the holiday season can make or break their sales. That said, the anticipation that comes every holiday season is great for business and is always a huge hit regardless of the circumstances. It allows buyers to take advantage of all the great deals, free shipping, and other perks. It is a win-win for everyone involved.”
Nick Matthews
CEO & Co-Founder at Eco Pea Co.
Managers and business owners have to always be on the lookout for opportunities to grow and expand their businesses. The holiday season provides many opportunities and challenges for all types of businesses, especially on the marketing front. But with the right marketing tactics, businesses can maximize their sales and reach new customers during the holiday season.
New Categories for Gifts
During the holiday season people are often shopping for others in their lives. We start to see brands creating new categories in their marketing efforts that are tailored to gift giving. Create new category pages for marketing with easy to give gifts from the inventory. There is no need to reinvent the wheel or reinvent product lines but instead curating a list of potential gifts is something we have seen more and more of. During the holiday season marketing will fluctuate to promote gift lists. Continue to update your website with new category pages for each holiday so shoppers have an easy one stop shop for their gifts.
Peter Reagan
Financial Marketing Specialist at Birch Gold Group
Adjust Your Content Calendar
One valuable tip for navigating the fluctuating landscape of marketing during the holiday season is to adjust your content calendar. Recognize that consumer behavior and spending patterns change significantly during this period, and you should reflect that in your marketing strategy. Tailor your content to align with the holiday spirit, whether it’s through themed social media posts, special promotions, or holiday-themed email campaigns. Be sure to plan your content well in advance, starting well before the holiday season begins, and strategically schedule it to coincide with key shopping events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas. By adapting your content calendar to the holiday season, you can better capture the attention of your audience and make the most of this unique marketing opportunity.
Phil Sandner
President at Easy Spa Parts