The holiday season is almost here! And as a business owner, it’s important to make sure you and your business are prepared. According to Deloitte,
47% of consumers prefer to shop on the internet (5), making it extremely important for businesses to put together a solid holiday marketing plan.
It’s also important to note that holiday marketing isn’t just for retail and e-commerce based businesses. Lawyers, caterers, and dentists can also benefit from a holiday marketing strategy. Try these marketing tips to ensure your website and social media campaigns are ready for the upcoming holidays.
Holiday Marketing Tips For Your Website & Social Media Campaigns
Update Your Website
Your website is the online face of your business, making it extremely important for it to captivate and convert your visitors into paying customers. This is especially true for
e-commerce websites. If you haven’t updated your website in a while, now is the time to update product photos, special offers, banners, and your homepage with holiday verbiage.
If your customers can buy directly through your website, run through your checkout process to see if it is customer friendly:
- How many steps must a customer make before they are able to purchase?
- Are their options for gift-wrapping and delivery by a certain date?
- Can people checkout as a guest?
- Can people buy through their smartphone or tablet?
A long and complicated checkout process is one of the easiest ways to frustrate potential buyers and have them leave your site without completing their transaction. Read
E-Commerce Tips for Cyber Monday for more holiday e-commerce optimization help.
Not only should you update your checkout process, but also check the content of your site. Look for ways to freshen up the content on your product pages, and even your blog, homepage, and contact page.
Write Holiday-Specific Content
Your blog is one of the best tools you have to driving holiday traffic to your website. While blog content like, “Holiday Gift Guide for Mom” helps e-commerce businesses, lawyers, realtors and caterers should get creative to do similar holiday-themed posts. Fun examples include:
- Catering / Event Planning – 5 Creative Holiday Party Ideas: Event planners and caterers should showcase their holiday decorating and party planning skills by providing tips on how to hold the best holiday party. Give tips on recipes, desserts, DIY decorations, games, and everything that would make a fun party. Make sure to include high resolutions images for Pinterest!
- Realtors– The Holiday Parade Is Downtown This Year!: There are so many family-friendly events in Raleigh during the holidays. Realtors should use the events, such as the Holiday Parade, to show how amazing living in Raleigh really is and why buying a home in the area is perfect for families.
- Lawyers – Why Writing A Will Should Be One of Your New Year’s Resolutions: This is the perfect opportunity for lawyers to explain why having a will is important. Explain the benefits and how not having a will can impact the family.
Share on Social Media
After you update your website and create holiday-themed content, start sharing on social media. Post your products, deals,
blogs, etc. on your platforms and engage with your followers. Remember that each platform is different and your posts should be customized to each network to truly see the benefits.
Use Pinterest
According to the Catalog Spree,
74% of shoppers use the internet to get ideas for their holiday wish lists (16). So if you haven’t set up a Pinterest business account then this is the time to create one! And even if you aren’t a retail business, you should still use Pinterest to drive holiday traffic to your website. As people are skimming through their feeds and seeing holiday-related pins there are two actions that are bound to take place:
- People will pin to a board labeled “Gift Ideas for Me”, allowing their friends and family to easily find gifts that they want and will use.
- People will pin to a “Holiday Recipes”, “Holiday Decorations”, or “Holiday DIY Gifts” board to get ideas for the upcoming season.
Whether it’s a table centerpiece, ornament DIY tutorial, or gift ideas, Pinterest is one of the best ways for businesses to get their name in front of potential buyers and convert them into customers.
Create Ads
Since holiday shopping will constantly be on everyone’s minds, ads are a great way to get your brand in front of more people. Where you run your ads, whether it’s Facebook, Google Adwords, Twitter, etc., all depends on where your customers are. If you do construction and you want people to know you could complete a kitchen remodel by Thanksgiving, then run pay per click ads with that message. If you offer a spa special on facials as the perfect holiday gift, then run Facebook ads for men to see as they browse their newsfeed.
Throughout the holidays people are looking to spend money. Using your website, social media platforms and ads, you can get in front of potential buyers and convert them into paying customers.
Tags: Digital Marketing • Web Design
