18 Jul 5 Successful Festive Marketing Strategies for 2022

‘Tis the season to dust off your Santa hat and get your festive digital marketing strategy in order!

Many of us have adjusted to the “new normal” following the COVID pandemic, but there are a few remnants this tumultuous time has left behind. For one, more customers are trading busy shopping malls for the convenience of swiping their credit cards from the comfort of their sofas. While the natural progression of technology found us heading in this direction anyway, the pandemic only seemed to accelerate things.

According to recent studies, online spending will reach $920 billion (around R15 trillion) this festive season, up 11% from the previous year (2021). There’s no question that promoting your products or services over the festive season has the potential to boost sales, but reaping the financial rewards during this busy time doesn’t happen by accident.

We’ve compiled a few tips to help boost those sales through a well-crafted digital marketing strategy.

Tip #1: Use Paid Campaigns

Ensuring your brand has a successful SEO strategy is all good and well, but sometimes your customers need a little nudge… especially when the festive season rolls around. Setting up a festive-themed PPC strategy can help promote specific products and target shoppers. Google, Facebook and Instagram are three great platforms to utilise when it comes to PPC ads as it targets specific locations, demographics, and search queries – perfect for honing in on your ideal holiday target audience.

Tip #2: Email Marketing Campaign for the Win!

Creating an email marketing campaign is a great way to boost holiday sales. Your email list can be a gold mine during the holiday season, but finding an effective strategy to harness this untapped potential is vital. Your email inbox is probably overflowing with Black Friday deals, Holiday greetings and specials, making it oh-so important to stand out from the crowd and your competitors. Your business can grab the attention of potential customers by doing two things: personalisation and segmentation.

Email list segmentation is the method of dividing your email list into different parts or segments, creating a unique message that resonates with each individual segment. Take this a step further by building customer personas and targeting your customers during specific times that suit their lifestyle. While all of this can be an effective way to get the clicks and boost your holiday sales, do not neglect your email subject line and copy!

Tip #3: Use Promotions

Promotions are a great way to intrigue your customers and get the sales rolling in. Providing unique discounts to loyal customers can be a wonderful way to retain your existing customer base, promote trust and build a relationship that allows your business to utilise the power of “word of mouth.” An additional promotion idea can be to provide a limited-time coupon code that potential customers receive when they sign up for your newsletters or purchase products over a certain amount. This may also provide incentive for customers to stick around when the holiday buzz dies down.

Tip #4: Be Socially Responsible

The world has become a lot more conscious when it comes to social responsibility, and your business should too. This ought to extend beyond the holiday season, but partnering with a local charity can help get your company’s name out there when attracting new customers. Reach out to charities or non-profit organisations that align with your business. For example, if your business sells products or services for pets, it would make sense that you partner with a local animal shelter or organisation.

Potential customers are motivated to purchase products and services from businesses that align with their values. Whether that’s helping the environment, animals or local communities, your business should be doing its part during the season of giving. A word of caution, your customers aren’t stupid, so make sure you’re not being socially responsible solely to boost sales. Be authentic!

Tip #5: Get into the Holiday Spirit

Last but not least, get into the holiday spirit by hosting a giveaway contest. There’s nothing that attracts potential customers more than something free, especially during the festive season. This can be a great way to build brand awareness, grow your social media following and build your email list. Giveaways are quick and easy ways to promote your holiday deals and more, and can be as simple as giving away a product or voucher!

Get Into The Festive Marketing Spirit

These are just a few tips to help you gain marketing inspiration and boost sales this festive season. Creating a well thought out digital marketing strategy for the holidays is the best way to take advantage of one of the busiest times of year.

If you’re too busy to set up your own successful digital marketing campaign, we’d be happy to help! Browse our SEO Services or contact SOMS Digital Agency for all your digital marketing needs – festive and otherwise.