01 Dec Holiday Marketing: 6 Mistakes to Avoid
Your eCommerce business is at its busiest and craziest during the holiday season and that is the most wonderful time of the year. This is the time of year when you want to attract customers doing online Christmas shopping, increase sales and close out the year in style. Also, now is the time to launch your holiday campaign, make it memorable for your customers, and stand out from the competition.
In order to be successful with seasonal marketing, you need to be aware of the following trends:
- People are more intent on buying.
- Customers become more likely to purchase during time-sensitive holiday campaigns.
- The search engine optimization campaign for brands should be redesigned. “Regular season” Local SEO tactics may not generate as much qualified traffic as holiday SEO tactics.
- Social media is a good resource for shoppers to look for gift ideas.
It is crucial to have a well-thought-out holiday strategy in addition to knowing eCommerce seasonality. Our seasonality marketing team is here to assist you. We’ll take a non-traditional approach by describing what NOT to do for holiday marketing. Avoid these six-holiday marketing campaigns to avoid being on the naughty list :
1. Campaigns to encourage visitors to visit the website
Ads are used to persuade customers to click on links using captivating holiday ads. The links, however, ultimately lead to the company’s official website.
Problem:
This holiday advertising idea may make you wonder, what’s the problem? Isn’t advertising supposed to lead to more leads for us?
There is a problem with your website in a campaign like this. Shoppers are limited in their ability to purchase all kinds of items at once during the holiday shopping season. In other words, they just want to jump straight to the point of your advertisement.
On the main website, you would typically provide an overview of your company or business. Visitors aren’t necessarily interested in such information at this time. They just experienced a delay in their online Christmas shopping.
Solution:
Your holiday marketing strategy doesn’t require a complete revamp of your website. Create seasonal landing pages instead. Your Christmas marketing ideas or New Year’s ideas will be put into action efficiently and at a low cost this way. Also, it will enhance the shopping experience for busy shoppers and help you attract them online during the holiday season.
Boost your landing pages’ effectiveness with these holiday marketing tips:
- Keep your shoppers informed by adding countdown timers to your offer. This will motivate them to act quickly.
- Prevent the shopper from leaving your landing page by displaying an enticing pop-up before they leave.
2. Same-old-keyword campaigns
Holiday campaigns like these effectively encapsulate the spirit of the season through visuals and messaging. However, there is something off about their keywords.
Problem:
Understanding your audience’s search behavior is crucial to optimizing your website for search engines. Consistently targeting your search terms is also essential. Having said that, we must also take note of how the search intent changes over time.
Campaigns for the holidays cannot be successful if you stick with the same old keywords. When you tap search terms related to the holidays, you can maximize brand awareness and sales.
Solution:
Invest in holiday SEO, watch the holiday economy, and capitalize on seasonal searches. This is when it comes to positioning your brand in front of audiences with a high level of purchase intent.
Find trending keywords and include them in your messages using tools like Google Trends. During this busy time, dealing with a company that is familiar with holiday search engine optimization can increase your visibility in search engine results.
3. No-hashtag campaigns
The landing pages look festive, all set. Research for holiday keywords is done! There’s nothing wrong with these campaigns. The only problem is relevant hashtags.
Problem:
Holiday or Christmas marketing ideas can be too big-picture-oriented not to consider the little details, such as hashtags. If you would like to generate results with your special offers or deals, they must be seen first.
Hashtags are crucial because of this. By using these holiday posts, you can reach people who are shopping for gifts online, allowing you to generate more awareness of your brand and reach more people.
Solution:
Make sure your brand or holiday campaign is represented by the appropriate hashtag. Look for business-related trends to get inspiration when you feel stuck.
As you create your hashtag campaign, you need to be creative as to how you will use them. Here are some ideas:
- Compile all your updates about promotions and sales in one place.
- Engage shoppers to create and use user-generated content that highlights your service or product.
- Create more buzz about your business.
Twitter and Instagram hashtags are extremely popular and useful, but Facebook hashtags are not as common or useful. Keep this in mind when implementing your holiday marketing strategy.
4. No-ad campaign
The campaigns include wonderful holiday marketing ideas, header and icon updates, cute hashtags and sales announcements. However, paid advertisements are omitted – after all, they are just additional expenses, right?
Problem:
Your holiday advertising campaign cannot be successful without paid advertisements, so don’t ignore them. Using PPC and social media ads properly can increase visibility, boost holiday sales and improve your ROI.
Solution:
As you normally would, create your holiday promotions or time-sensitive offers. However, make time to craft a strong paid advertising campaign as well.
Create eye-catching visuals for your holiday advertising and write engaging copy. Next, ad campaigns should be placed on popular social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. To drive more traffic to your landing page or website, you can also consider investing in PPC advertising.
Alternatively, you can hire holiday marketing services if you are not comfortable handling your own holiday marketing efforts.
5. Lackluster campaigns regarding customer service
These campaigns aren’t quite festive, even though the holidays are merry and bright. At any other time of the year, you will receive the same level of service from them.
Problem:
It isn’t all fun and games when it comes to online and offline Christmas shopping. In addition, since long lines and holiday shopping stress dominate Christmas and new year’s, marketing ideas need to take these factors into consideration.
Furthermore, you must understand the seasonality of eCommerce and have your store prepared accordingly.
The following are a few indicators that it’s time to change your eCommerce marketing strategy:
- The online store was not prepared for a sudden surge of customers and orders
- Design an eCommerce site without any holiday whimsy
- An unsatisfactory checkout experience
Solution:
Reduce your customers’ stress as your ultimate goal. Following these tips will provide online shoppers with a magical shopping experience:
Make sure your inventory is ready ahead of time by monitoring retail seasonality trends. Taking this approach helps you effectively serve online shoppers during the holiday season.
Provide easy-to-follow FAQ pages or live chat services to answer customers’ questions. Besides gift ideas, you can share tips for a hassle-free holiday shopping experience.
Ensure that your online store runs smoothly and quickly by coordinating with your web developer.
6. No-connection campaigns
Using social media, these campaigns spread awareness about limited-time holiday sales. After all, the more consumers know, the better.
Problem:
With social media, it’s perfectly okay to target large audiences. You must also communicate with prospects and existing customers on a personal level. You may not become a memorable and personable brand for your customers if you fail to address this area.
Solution:
By sending custom holiday emails to your customers and leads, you will build a lasting relationship. Based on their previous interactions with your brand, emphasize promotions or seasonal products relevant to them. Your email can appeal to their emotions and display well on mobile devices if you work with an agency specializing in holiday email marketing.