We know, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet. But the thing is if you haven’t started planning your holiday marketing efforts you need to – like yesterday.
Haven’t even started thinking about it? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. We reached out to our advertising team to share their must-dos when it comes to taking on the holidays. Read on for holiday marketing tips from our experts.
Know Your Search Terms
When it comes to holiday marketing, it’s imperative you know what your audience is searching for. Google Trends can be invaluable for this purpose. Would you believe that the search for holiday movies hit a peak on October 26th of this year? Believe it. “Hot Christmas Gifts For 2019” has also already hit Google’s peak score of 100 since the beginning of October.
This is also where social listening can come in handy. What is your audience talking about? Find out and then test those topics in Google Trends to see where they hit in search popularity.
Last year, searches for gift cards were up 72% from the previous year- chances are, people will be searching for them again this year. Other trending topics last year included mobile purchases, price comparison ads, and coupon codes.
Go Where The People Are
Want to hit it big with your holiday campaigns this year? Try advertising on platforms you may not be familiar with. Snapchat has over 215 million daily users, and consumers are more likely to purchase from Snapchat than any other social platform. It may seem wild to you (it did to us!) but it’s something you should consider. Instagram Stories ad spend increased by 220% in 2018 – meaning everyone and their mother are advertising on Instagram Stories. And while that doesn’t mean you should count Instagram out, it does suggest that your ads will be more likely to stand out on Snapchat.
The holiday season is the perfect time to explore ads on new and trending platforms. So if you’re targeting younger audiences and feeling adventurous, take a look at advertising on Tik Tok.
Other trending ad formats this year are Facebook Collection ads and Amazon ads with reviews. The former allows consumers to see multiple products without scrolling, while the latter cuts out the need to investigate reviews separately.
Initiate Testing
In order to maximize sales and spending, you’ll want to test your holiday campaign before rolling it out. Run A/B Testing that plays with target audiences, hashtags, or calls to action. Just make sure that for each A/B test, you’re only changing one aspect of the ad.
You can even run tests before your payment, creating content that mimics the paid ads you plan on investing in and investigating which posts perform the best. For more information on testing your social campaigns, see Sprout Social’s Ultimate Social Media Testing Guide.
Visuals Are Important
One of the most important aspects of your holiday campaign will be the images you choose to run alongside your ads. You’ll want to ensure that they are not only holiday appropriate and relevant, but also high quality. Set aside a specific budget for spending on quality, branded images, and run tests to see which work best.
Want to go the extra mile? Invest in creating high-quality videos. Video is the #1 way consumers found out about a brand or new product before purchasing and 56% of consumers say a brand’s video on social media has influenced a holiday purchasing decision.
Take Time Writing Your Ad Copy
There are a number of reasons why you need to take extra time when writing holiday ad copy. Using language based on seasonal offers like “limited time only” or “exclusive” motivate consumers to purchase immediately. Including copy that highlights what sets you apart from your competition can also be helpful. Showcasing your sustainability practices or ways you are giving back this holiday season helps consumers feel good about their gifting and makes it easy for them to click “add to cart.”
Lastly, you’ll want to keep the copy clear and concise. You don’t want your social media customer service team to be bombarded with questions relating to your ads, especially since they likely will be experiencing increased activity already.
Get Started Now
Now that you’ve read through our advertising experts’ holiday marketing tips, it’s time to get started on your 2019 Holiday Marketing campaign. While it can seem overwhelming, once you get going we guarantee everything will fall into place.
Have any tips for holiday campaigns? Share them in the comments below!
Leah K. Williams
Latest posts by Leah K. Williams (see all)
- Earning Brand Loyalty in 2021 - February 10, 2021
- Why You Need To Prep Your Holiday Content Now - October 27, 2020
- The Top 5 Scariest Customer Care Mistakes - October 7, 2020
