What’s the busiest time of year for your business? Chances are, most businesses would answer that question with, “The holidays!” Despite this season of wonder, joy, and deals, it can be tough to stand out. It doesn’t matter if you’re selling the best custom mugs on the internet; if you don’t have a holiday marketing plan for them, your seasonal sales might be as disappointing as a stocking filled with coal. Take some time to strategize and offer your customers something to be jolly about!
Leverage Holiday-Themed Content
Does creating holiday advertising content take a lot of work? Yes. Can you make it fun? Absolutely! The holiday season affords you a chance to do some creative things with your brand and products.
- Gift Guides: Create short, tailored guides by category. “Mugs for the nerds in your life” or maybe “Tea accessories for your fancy loved one.” And then there’s the “Last minute stocking stuffers” guides for the procrastinators out there.
- Themed Social Posts: Share a digital advent calendar countdown, offer “Daily Gift” promotions, and decorate your graphics with the colors and symbols of the holiday—just be sure to keep your brand recognizable.
- Holiday Newsletters: Curated content sent out via email is the starting point to many a gift giver’s shopping journey. Make yours stand out by offering them deals they can’t refuse.
Here’s a nice little bonus tip: Why not deck the website? It doesn’t have to be boughs of holly, but you could always hang a little Santa hat on your logo, or maybe change some icons to candy canes and gifts. It’s a pleasant reward for the customer when your content does pull in clicks, and we would be happy to make it happen for you!
Offer Special Deals and Promotions
Holiday advertising isn’t complete without a plethora of exclusive deals. Discounts are welcome by all, while free shipping can entice customers to spend a minimum amount! Flash sales and last-chance reminders are also an effective way to grab the attention of all the right customers and create urgency.
If you’re intent on selling those custom mugs, this is a great chance to offer gift packages that offer more value than purchasing each item individually. You can even throw in some more incentives! Why not include a packet of hot chocolate and a candy cane stirring spoon with the purchase of each mug? After all, who doesn’t love hot chocolate?
Optimize for Mobile Shopping
Holiday marketing isn’t just about advertisements! This one applies year-round, but it’s crucial at a time when you’re seeing heavier-than-usual web traffic. Make sure you optimize your website for customers who shop using their mobile devices! Here’s what you should prioritize:
- Responsive Design: Is your site fast and easy to navigate? Is it pleasing to the eye on mobile? Is the text legible?
- Streamlined Checkout: Simple, efficient checkout processes can make or break a sale. Many people may back out of a sale if they’re required to create an account, so consider adding a “Guest Checkout” option.
- Mobile Payment Options: Fast, simple methods of payment are becoming more and more popular—you’re probably all-too-familiar with the involuntary eyeroll when you realize you need to go fetch your credit card and enter all the info. Adding Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and other quick solutions can help reduce cart abandonment.
Still skeptical? These insights from HubSpot paint a picture of just how important mobile optimization is.
Run Targeted Social Media Campaigns
We can’t stress enough how important your social media marketing strategy is during the holidays. It’s a way to connect with potential (and existing) customers and provide interaction they’ll remember. Consider running paid social media campaigns to target specific audiences that you determine based on interests. Be sure to utilize the themed visuals we touched on earlier. A holiday-themed graphic keeps your customers in the holiday spirit and lets them know that your content is fresh. It also keeps your product or service fresh in their minds, ensuring they don’t forget that amazing gift idea!
With that in mind, be aware of which platforms you’re running your campaigns on and craft your content accordingly. On Facebook, you may take a traditional ad approach, with that custom mug front and center, filled with hot cocoa with twinkling lights in the background. But on Instagram? A photo of someone cozied up on the couch next to the fireplace while holding their mug to their lips might be the more effective route.
As for LinkedIn, it’s probably not going to sell as many mugs as the other two platforms. It’s good to know when you don’t even need to include certain platforms in your campaign!
Personalize Customer Experiences
Have you ever walked into your favorite cafe, bookstore, or other establishment to be recognized and greeted by the staff? It probably made you like the place even more. These people know you and like serving you! That’s the feeling you’re trying to spark with your holiday marketing. When they know you want to make their experience an enjoyable one, they’re more likely to support your business. Here’s what you can do:
- Data-Driven Personalization: Utilize data on the buyer’s browsing history and past purchases to make recommendations on products that are relevant to them.
- Exclusive Offers for Loyal Customers: Do you have a customer who has spent a significant amount of money on your custom mugs? Consider rewarding them with an exclusive discount—and ask them how they find space for all those mugs.
- Holiday-Themed Loyalty Programs: Offer your customers additional loyalty points or holiday bonuses to encourage them to make future purchases. We know we would love to get a coupon that says, “Thanks for your purchase! Enjoy 15% off the next time you shop with us!”
Focus on Customer Service
This is another one of those things that applies year-round—not just your holiday marketing efforts. When stress is high for many customers, making their experience as pleasant as possible is vital! So how do you deliver that pleasant customer journey and handle inquiries with a genuine smile? It’s all about timeliness and being proactive!
This is your chance to be flexible. Offer your customers multiple support channels—chat, email, and phone support. All kinds of customers exist, and they don’t share the same communication preferences. Of course, none of that matters if you don’t answer your phone or respond to messages in a timely manner. Leaving customers hanging is a surefire way to sour their experience.
Want to take your customer service a step further? Have a system in place to notify buyers of updates to their orders, shipping deadlines, and any delays. A late package with no communication is the perfect recipe for a Grinch.
Plan for Post-Holiday Engagement
You thought the holiday rush was over once the holiday itself ends? Think again! While it may not be nearly as busy, there will likely be a handful of gift returns or other inquiries—such is the lifecycle of the holiday shopping season. Maybe a customer received a misprint or has to make a return because they finally ran out of cabinet space. Whatever the reasoning, it’s best to be ready for:
- Walk-in gift returns
- DMs on social media accounts
- Comments on your posts
- Calls with questions
When it comes to social media, engagement is key here. Hopefully you’ll be getting nothing but comments saying how much your customers love drinking their coffee out of their new custom mug, but the opposite is a possibility (some people are hard to please). Responding to positive and negative feedback shows your customers that you really care about their satisfaction, and could be the factor that encourages them to return.
A Holly Jolly Marketing Strategy
This season can bring plenty of fortune to your business, but only if you put some work into your holiday marketing strategy. By leveraging holiday content, optimizing your website, running great campaigns, and practicing effective customer service practices, you’re letting your customers know that they matter to you. If you need a little help with managing all of it, our designers and developers are happy to craft a holiday plan for your business. Let us do the work while you sit back and enjoy some hot cocoa.