It is the ever-so-popular time of year, where us consumers are inundated with constant reminders that the holidays are soon upon us. I personally look forward to it, not for the days full of gift giving and receiving, but the 24 hour marathon of The Christmas Story (and for the record, I do own the infamous leg lamp).
However, what I have on my mind during this time of year is in the minority. Consumers are preparing to ramp up on the holiday shopping, and retailers are ready for the shoppers to come flooding to their doors or websites.
Retailers are looking for ways to break through the clutter and lure customers to spend spend spend, whether offline or online. As the consumer rolls out holiday plans, they will include online research to help ease the holiday rush and find the best deals around. Retailers are going to be pushing “special offers” in the upcoming weeks (especially in the online space), such as free shipping, promotional coupons, etc…
According to Google Trends, the holiday deals spike began as early as October, as if you did not already know that from walking into your local Macy’s store.
With that, retailers, or search marketers for retail companies, should keep a few best practices in mind during the holiday season.
- Make sure to allocate appropriate budgets and include promotional messaging on key shopping days like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Green Monday
- Incorporate the spirit of the holidays in all marketing channels, including the website
- Create unique landing pages for Holiday Gift Guides and Specials
- Test marketing messaging and offers to see which resonate best with your audience
- Be relevant to your consumers and personalize when possible
I wish you happy searching and to all a good find!
P.S.
Dear Santa,
If you are reading this a) I have been nice and b) would like an official Red Ryder. I’ll leave the cupcakes out for you to enjoy.
Your loyal fan,
Rebecca