In the wise words of John Lennon….
John’s asking you about your digital marketing plan… what have you done with it?
After all, it’s not every day that your eCommerce business can capitalise on the biggest holiday of the year!
But even though it seems premature to turn on your campaigns 2 months prior to the big day, stats show that this is the optimal time to get those holiday ads running well before the month of December. Here’s why….
Getting ahead of the competition:
In the wise words of Ice-T….
…which was a song about beating your competitors instead of letting them tap into your target market.
Wow, Ice T knew some stuff…
Setting your campaigns live at this time of the year is a great way to reach potential shoppers and ensure they consider you, before your competition gets to them first!
By planting your brand in the minds of customers now, you’ll be their first thought when it comes to stocking up on Christmas gifts. This also brings us to our second point…
Buyers are stocking up!:
In the wise words of David Bowie…
He was talking about how a lot of buyers are more tempted to purchase gifts (some, toys) well before Christmas day in a bid to stock up early.
What a revelation…
Make sure you have your campaigns set live right now in order to get the attention of shoppers who are always on the prowl for the perfect gift at a discount rate.
Other Considerations:
Some other things to think about are effective platforms to place your products on.
Email Marketing:
Stats show there’s a decrease in email open rates closer to the end of November and the whole of December. However, the rate is higher in the months of October and early November. You’d do best to schedule Christmas themed emails earlier on, clearly outlining any specials on products and services that may pique interest around the holidays.
Social media:
With the year-on-year rate rising as time goes on, recent stats show 70% of shoppers plan to source gifts online before considering a physical store. With this in mind, make sure your platforms are in full force, showcasing high selling items and sending those ads to the right audience.
PPC:
Make sure you’re not being hustled by your own PPC campaigns this Christmas. To ensure that the whole shebang is properly optimised, do a sweep of your data and pull up your most successful products or showcase pieces that’ll perform well based on the time of year.
Content:
Stats have also noted that 32% of Gen Y’ers plan to spend more money this Christmas. Seems like the market is growing to include a group typically critical of the commercialism synonymous with the holiday season.
With that in mind, make sure your content is edited to suit.
Gen Y’ers tend to be suspicious of big businesses and corporate entities, so be sure you’re creating content that appeals to grassroots enthusiasts and showcases your most artisan products. If your items aren’t handmade by hippies, don’t fret. Just utilise content that aligns to the Gen Y lifestyle and the emotionalism that surrounds gift giving.
With these things in mind, gather the whole social team for a pow-wow on how to reach those Christmas shoppers, “right here right now” (original words from Fat Boy Slim).
Let’s take a leaf out of Santa’s book. Do you think his elves start building all the toys the night before Christmas?
