Our Holiday Marketing Faves for 2019

We know that the holidays can be stressful and those creative juices can run out pretty quickly so we have pulled together our favorites that we get in our inboxes, on social media, and anywhere else online. You may have already started to prepare in advance, but sometimes you may need some extra help to continue to boost your online marketing efforts. We’ve compiled some quotes from our team, examples, and some tips and tricks that we have found work really well not only on us (who doesn’t look for the greatest deals online or in our email?) but with our clients.

1. Keep it simple yet impactful
   • You don’t have to go overboard on holiday messaging this year. Try keeping your ads simple but have an impact on your visitors and customers. Having a cohesive message in not just your marketing but in everything that you do from emails to social posts to what you have in your store (online or brick and mortar).
   • Haley D. says, “Holidays = sales for me. So highlighting any discounts and saying "best of the year" will get me shopping for sure.”
2. Emails are big for the holidays
   • Grabbing your customers’ attention in the ever-growing flood of other emails that they have been getting over the year can seem insurmountable at times. Use crafty headlines with emojis that convey excitement, deals, and giveaways. Keep your CTA’s simple for each email that you send out - no more than 1 main CTA used throughout each email can help increase lift in click-throughs.
3. Try Tag-A-Friend posts for holiday giveaways
   • Who doesn’t like to share something fun and possibly get something for free? This will help organically lift your reach of your social media and help you gain more potential customers. Make sure, though, that you keep up with the conversation.
   • Kassidy W. says “I like the holiday ads that have a narrative to them and a little bit of humor. First thing that comes to mind is the Share Your Gifts campaign from Apple last year!” Share Your Gifts Campaign
4. Make your ads memorable with cute narratives that invoke positive emotions
   • Humans are emotional and part of marketing is to try to hit on those emotions. Over here, we prefer to hit on the positive emotions of people with beautiful stories of newly-engaged couples, sprightly gnomes ready to be a part of your Christmas tree or engaging stories of our team uplifting our community through volunteer service.
   • Rebecca M. says, “I love a good deal, but I can sniff out marketing shams pretty easily. I’m looking at you, drop shippers!”
5. Be genuine in your marketing efforts
   • Everyone loves a good deal, but don’t falsely inflate your promises or create false urgency. During the holidays, people expect great deals and deep discounts and are conditioned to find the best prices, so make sure that you are clearly incentivizing your shoppers while also giving them a reason to buy now.

     “Whatever promotion you decide to run, make sure there’s a non-BS reason for customers to buy NOW.

     For example, maybe your brand genuinely only holds sales once or twice a year — and this is one of those times. That’s compelling!

     Or maybe you’ll donate a percentage of holiday profits to a carbon-offset organization to make up for the insane increase in air pollution from delivery trucks. That’s convincing!

     Whatever your angle is, avoid false urgency… because buyers can smell it from a mile away.” :: 6. Gift guides, staff picks, and client picks Why not help your shoppers find not just the best deals, but the perfect gifts by guiding them to the most popular items in your shop? This helps you clear out inventory for new items for the new year, but also allows you to showcase the most popular items you have. It also helps those with a brain block on what they can buy for family and friends. Try creating guides for moms, dads, sisters, girlfriends, boyfriends, etc. This will not only help your creative juices flow, but takes a lot of guessing work out of your shoppers. Staff picks are a great way to showcase your staff and give a personal edge to your shop. Find out what your staff’s favorite items are - from trinkets and games to jewelry and clothes. This kind of authenticity really brings your shop into the hearts and minds of your shoppers. Reader’s Digest Ultimate Gift Guide For Everyone On Your List This Ultimate Dog Lovers Gift Guide comes with key features, ratings, and costs Our client, Monson Jewelers, showcases clients’ picks

     What are some of your favorite ways to market your services or goods during the holidays and throughout the year?