Make sure your holiday promotions hit all the right notes (and avoid the wrong ones)
If you own a business, your mind is probably filled with equal amounts of excitement and terror. The holiday season is here, and that means a chaotic mix of increased sales and stress is in your immediate future. But the stress isn’t just from the holiday rush. It’s also born of the uncertainty around how successful your holiday marketing will be.
Don’t worry, though. We understand the struggle, and we have good news: There are plenty of ways to make sure your holiday marketing campaigns hit the mark! The weather outside may be frightful, but your sales don’t have to be if you follow this holly jolly list of dos and don’ts.
Do: Start Early and Plan Ahead
It happens every year. You finish handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, go to bed, and wake up to a noticeably less spooky world. Holiday decorations are going up, candy canes line store shelves, and Rudolph plushies are front and center in promotional displays. While some people may groan at this seemingly early shift to holiday cheer, there’s a simple reason behind it: It works.
Successful holiday marketing kicks into gear before most people have even bought their Thanksgiving turkey, meaning the planning has been in motion since before even that. This early planning allows business owners (you) to identify opportunities and formulate approaches before it’s time for the holiday rush.
The benefits? You can capture the attention of shoppers before your competitors do, building anticipation with teases and early-access promotions. Beginning your plans early means you can spread out your workload and avoid last-minute stress, as well. It’s a lot like doing your own holiday shopping. Spread out your gift buying, and you won’t feel rushed and overwhelmed!
Don’t: Ignore Mobile and Social Shopping Trends
Trends are trends for a reason. If so many people didn’t latch onto them, they would be dust in the frigid winter wind. Why wouldn’t you take advantage of them?
This year, mobile and social commerce continue to seemingly dominate the world. More than ever before, people are scrolling and purchasing from their phones, presumably nestled in their couches with hot cocoa. This is largely made possible by ads and posts on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. So why would you ignore mobile optimization? If your site suffers from poor load times, consumer-unfriendly checkout processes, or badly formatted emails, you could be losing customers.
In order to stay competitive, make sure you:
- Optimize your website and checkout process for mobile users.
- Run social media ads that target your audience.
- Streamline the customer journey by using shoppable posts and stories.
- Track and retarget shoppers from social media through pixel or conversion tracking.
Do: Personalize Your Campaigns
The high school goth isn’t going to buy your traditional elf on the shelf. But maybe they’ll be more enticed by an elf wearing dark makeup and black clothes (and maybe a choker). These days, shoppers want the content they view to be relevant to them. Because of this, personalization is a necessity. When you tailor your messaging to your audience’s preferences, the results will be higher open rates and engagement, which means more sales. Woohoo!
Here’s how you can effectively personalize your marketing:
- Segment your email lists based on behavior and purchase history
- Use dynamic website content to prioritize relevant products and services
- Incorporate the shopper’s name in emails
- Leverage AI-driven product recommendations
When you make things personal, a casual browser could turn into a loyal customer.
Don’t: Overwhelm Customers With Promotions
Believe it or not, it’s possible to offer too many deals. It may be tempting to push out constant offers and flash sales, but spamming customer inboxes with emails will overwhelm them and they may unsubscribe or send you to spam.
In addition to spamming multiple texts and emails every day, another common pitfall is offering multiple steep discounts. Don’t get us wrong; customers love a good discount, but too many will only serve to devalue your brand.
Do: Highlight Values and Authenticity
This is 2025. Gone are the days of sales being strictly about a good product. These days, people care about what a brand stands for, and many will express their support or opposition with their wallets. If you align your business with a meaningful cause or community initiative, you’re deepening your connection with your customers.
Here are some characteristics of authentic holiday marketing campaigns:
- Partnerships with local nonprofits and charities
- Inclusion of real stories about the community and your efforts within it
- Promotion of sustainable practices in your business
- Inclusive imagery and messaging in your holiday promotions
It should go without saying that these efforts should be made authentically. Tie your business to a cause you yourself believe in. Feigning support is a veil that’s easy to see through.
Do: Stand Out With Creative Design and Visuals
In the marketing world, competition is fierce. That’s doubly true during the holidays. You have to woo the customer with a better dance than your competition (not literally, but you get the idea). Cut through the noise with visuals and creative design that truly draw the eye! Here are a few ideas for making it happen:
- Use bold colors and typography that capture attention.
- Incorporate motion graphics and even interactive elements in your ads and social media posts.
- Maintain brand consistency to make sure your ads are recognizable.
- Utilize A/B testing to see what resonates most (and adapt accordingly).
If you’re looking for some talented designers to handle this part of your efforts, look no further.
Don’t: Forget About Post-Holiday Engagement
When you water a plant, is that the extent of the care you provide? Okay, admittedly, for this blog writer, that’s the case. But my failure to follow up is the direct cause of my house plants dying. In a weird way, marketing (especially around the holidays) is the same. Sure, you made sales, but that doesn’t mean you should forget about the customer. You want to nurture your relationship with every customer. Make sure they loved their purchase, and if they didn’t, make it right.
In short, don’t forget about the customers who made your holiday season a success! Here are a few ideas for maintaining engagement after the decorations have been taken down:
- Send out “thank you” emails or texts
- Offer follow-up discounts
- Encourage product and service reviews and testimonials
- Promote upcoming events based on purchasing habits
Happy Holiday Marketing!
Is this a lot to take in? Yes. Is it necessary to building a solid holiday marketing plan? Also yes. When you plan ahead and give customers what they want during the holiday season, you can enjoy plenty of success without maximizing your stress levels.
And speaking of stress levels, working with an experienced marketing agency is a great way to reduce them further. We know you want to focus on your business, and as the #1 marketing agency in Frederick, we’re happy to handle your holiday marketing. Get in touch with us and let’s get planning!