Are You in the Dark? Marketing Tips for the Holidays
September 27, 2024
It’s scary to think the holidays are just around the corner. Let’s help you prepare now so that you can build anticipation for your big holiday reveals.
As we enter the final stretch of the year, please pull out that massive cauldron filled with tasty treats. By all means, do it! Carve a pumpkin or two and dress like a superhero while you’re at it. As you blast the Ghostbusters theme from your front porch, keep in mind that the fourth quarter presents a unique opportunity for you to orchestrate something special for the holidays: a surge of interest. Build anticipation with your audience and make your brand memorable. It should stand out among all the other cinnamon-smelling businesses.
Um. . . It’s October. Why Prepare Now?
You’ve seen how the holiday season brings both an influx of shoppers and a tidal wave of competition. While many of your competitors wait until the last minute to throw a wreath on their door and market their brand, preparing early allows you to:
- Capitalize on the early holiday shoppers.
- Tell a story that builds anticipation and excitement around your brand.
- Create memorable experiences for customers that encourage repeat business.
- Maximize revenue and reach your goals during the busiest shopping season of the year.
Let’s Do This! Your Step-By-Step Holiday Marketing Plan
If you’ve never crafted a holiday marketing plan before, take heart. We’ll break down the steps without leaving you overwhelmed. (Also–spoiler–we have a “how to” video coming out soon as well!)
Step 1: Define Your Mission (What’s Your Objective?)
Before plunging into tactics, take a step back and clarify what you want to achieve. Is your goal to boost sales? Increase brand awareness? Would you simply like to build stronger relationships with existing customers? When you know your WHY, you’ll stay focused and set the tone for your entire strategy. Decide early on what success looks like for you–whether it’s a revenue target, a certain number of leads, improving engagement across platforms, or a gigantic line that snakes around the corner of your neighborhood. (One could only hope, right?)
When you know your WHY, you’ll stay focused and set the tone for your entire strategy.
Step 2: Identify Key Dates and Promotions (What’s the Hook?)
Anticipation thrives on the gradual release of information. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas each offer different opportunities. Consider what promotions will resonate with your customers during each. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are perfect for heavy discounts, bundle deals, or limited-time offers that create urgency. For Christmas, focus on promotions that tap into the themes of family, giving and celebration–maybe offer gift packages, personalized products, or charitable tie-ins.
Choose promotions that fit your business model and align with your strengths. If you’re a service provider, for instance, you might offer a discount on packages or throw in a free consultation. If you sell products, bundles or special holiday-themed items can work well.
Start by teasing your promotions or special holiday offers well before they go live. Drop hints on social media, in emails or blog posts about what’s coming without giving away all the details. Keep your audience engaged and wondering, “What’s next?” with sneak peeks, behind the scenes, or clues about a product launch or sale.
Step 3: Know Your Audience (Who Are You Speaking To?)
It’s easy to think you’re targeting “everyone” during the holidays, but honing in on your ideal customers is crucial. Who are they? Consider their pain points during the holidays–are they overwhelmed by gift-giving? Looking for last-minute deals? Wanting to support local or family-owned businesses? Weave a narrative around your product or service to show how you can make someone’s holiday easier, bring joy to a family, or solve a seasonal problem.
Authenticity is your strength! Share your own story or the story of your brand, highlighting why you’re passionate about it, and how it could be useful or meaningful to your audience. Tailor your message and promotions with customer testimonials to tell real stories about how your product/service has impacted lives. Stories are relatable and powerful and tap into what truly matters to them.
Your holiday messaging should evoke emotion and a sense of purpose.
Step 4: Align With the Holiday Spirit (What’s the Message?)
No one likes a money-mongering Scrooge during the holiday season. Marketing that connects emotionally makes the biggest difference during the holidays. Think about the core values your brand represents and how those values align with the holidays. For example, if your brand emphasizes family, capture the importance of coming together and creating lasting memories. If your brand stands for quality and craftsmanship, tie that into thoughtful gift-giving or investing in products that last.
Find the story your brand can tell during this season. Whether it’s about making people’s lives easier, bringing joy to their families, or giving back to the community, your holiday messaging should evoke emotion and a sense of purpose.
Step 5: Set Realistic Goals (What’s Achievable?)
When crafting your holiday marketing plan, set clear, measurable goals. Do you want to increase website traffic by 20%? Generate 15% more revenue? Double your social media engagement? Be specific about what you want to accomplish, and track these goals as the season progresses.
Remember, it’s not just about sales–look at metrics like email open rates, social media shares, and new customer acquisition. Each of these contributes to your long-term success and helps you refine future campaigns.
Step 6: Choose the Right Platforms (Where Should You Be?)
When it comes to platforms, it’s important to be where your customers are. For advanced entrepreneurs, consider LinkedIn if you’re targeting professionals, or platforms like Facebook and Instagram for a broader consumer base. Paid ads can also help you reach new audiences during this competitive time of year.
Email marketing is a must! A holiday-themed campaign gives reminders about upcoming promotions. Don’t forget social media! Build engagement, run ads, and create buzz around your offers. Finally, your website should reflect the season. Utilize banners, special holiday landing pages, and easy navigation for customers looking for deals. Your visuals should resonate with the emotions of the season and project the warmth of family or the peace of giving back.
Step 7: Create a Timeline (What’s the Plan?)
Start planning early. Set a timeline that includes key dates for launching your promotions and posting holiday content. Instead of announcing everything at once, break your holiday promotion into stages, where each stage teases or reveals a new aspect of your offer. This keeps your audience engaged and builds excitement. Begin mentioning your offers a few weeks before Black Friday and keep the momentum going through Cyber Monday and into the holiday season.
Map out when each email will go out, when your social posts will hit, and when ads will launch. Having a schedule keeps you on track and makes sure nothing is left to the last minute. Be sure to use social media stories, live streams or email funnels to slowly release these reveals. Each piece should be exciting on its own, but part of a larger narrative.
Step 8: Track and Adjust (Is It Working?)
Keep an eye on your metrics throughout the season. If a certain promotion isn’t resonating, pivot quickly. If one ad performs better than others, boost it to maximize its reach. Use the data you gather to adjust in real time and improve your results.
Look for patterns in customer behavior: What’s driving them to click or buy? What’s holding them back? Don’t shy away from tweaking the course to arrive at a successful outcome.
We’ve Got You
Marketing should speak to the feelings of your audience, (well, let’s be honest–all the time), but especially during the holiday season! Don’t make it overwhelming. Start with a few key promotions that strategically build interest, align your brand with the holiday spirit, and set realistic goals that motivate you and your team. Tease those offers, tell those stories, offer that exclusivity and create a campaign that resonates with your customer. If you want to borrow a seasonal wordsmith or a designer to create a special marketing campaign, blog post, or makeover, let us know. Our team at JamboJon has a pocketful of holiday magic we can sprinkle on your website any time of year.
