Between untangling those endless strands of twinkle lights, decorating the tree, and finding the right playlist, your business’s holiday marketing basically does itself through the end of the year, right? Don’t worry; we get it!
But unfortunately for you, Santa and his elves don’t come around until the end of December. For holiday marketing, you’re going to need a different team of helpers. That’s where a trusty marketing team – like the one you get when you hire Sage Island – is the best Christmas present you could add to your list.
But if you want to get started before you make a decision about hiring extra help, there are a few ways you can jump on your holiday marketing, even with everything else you’ve got on your to-do list. What’s one more thing when you’re checking twice, right?
Website optimization
Nowadays, the first place anyone looks to shop is online. Why take the time to get in the car, browse the shelves in a physical store, and still risk not finding what you want when just about anything you could ask for is just a few clicks away? Considering this, the first step of amping up your holiday promotions, regardless of what you’re selling, should be to troubleshoot and optimize your business’s website.
When it comes to troubleshooting, the best thing you could do is go online and try using your site like any other consumer would. If you find yourself getting lost in the navigation, frustrated with buttons that don’t work the way it seems like they should, or confused by your copy, then it’s time to revisit the faulty elements and make things easier for your customers.
Optimizing a website on your own can sound intimidating, and it definitely helps to have a search engine optimization (SEO) expert around to lend a hand during this part of your marketing process. If you’re savvy enough, though, you can log in and start looking at your website’s metadata, title tags, and keywords to make sure each page is up to par. It makes it easier for your customers to find you online, and the shopping process nearly painless. And when you’re on the hunt for the perfect Christmas gift, it is the thought that counts!
Emails and social media
Email and social media marketing rules are always changing, and it’s a fine line between too much and not enough. The best rule of thumb for how often you reach out and to whom you direct your messaging is the same suggestion we made for making your website more user-friendly. Think about the campaigns you get looped into and your reactions to them. Are you happy to have been included on a specific list, or do you go for that unsubscribe option faster than you can even read the subject line? Emails are a powerful tool to help spread the word about a growing business, promote a sale or special event, and get feedback from your customers on what you offer and how you’re presenting it to them. Don’t miss out because of some faulty delivery methods or ambiguous messages!
The same can be said for your social media promotions and even your unsponsored posts. Take into account some of the branded pages you follow from your personal social media. If they start cropping up in your feeds with intrusive messaging or bombard you with ads, do you stop following them? Does the content seem genuine, or is it just designed to be a media barrage that hooks as many customers in one go as possible? More and more, social media is leaning back toward real engagement, not just likes and follows. Be sure to reply to comments, and publish posts that will actually mean something to your audience, not only advertise the newest product or latest sale.
[Want to know about the do’s and don’ts of social media? Click here!]
Print media
Print media is still a powerful marketing tool as long as it is designed and delivered in a way that appeals to the intended audience. For example, it wouldn’t help your clothing store to send out fliers to all of the businesses around you. You may attract someone’s attention, sure, but you’d have much better luck delivering those pieces to a neighborhood. And you can branch out, get creative with the types of items you send out into the world this holiday season. Fliers can be crafted into different shapes, and if you’ve got a graphic designer on hand, the holidays are the best times of year to get crafty with your colors and images, coordinating them with whatever seasonal offer you’ve got going on.
Some elements of a successful print campaign that want to be sure to consider include:
- Attention-grabbing header or title.
- Interesting copy.
- A call to action.
- Pleasing and timely images.
- Contact information.
Print advertising is an excellent tool for brands doing a holiday push, but keep these things in mind:
- Print advertising is an effective way to reach your customers and isn’t subject to distractions as digital advertising can be.
- A successful holiday print advertisement can be simple, emotionally appealing, or use traditional or non-traditional holiday themes.
- Make sure you create an ad that makes sense to your brand and speaks to your targeted demographic.
Feeling festive? That’s a great start! Contact the experts at Sage Island today and get a jumpstart on making some marketing magic this holiday season.