We aren’t talking turkeys, holiday decorations or gift exchanges here…we are talking about Black Friday, Cyber Monday and THE busiest shopping season of the year. The holiday season is literally right around the corner, but don’t worry if you haven’t devised your online marketing plan…there is still time if you act now. To help you as you work through the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, I put together a few tips.
Sales & Offer
Everyone will have some type of offer, so be sure to make yours a compelling one. Free shipping is always a winner, everyone loves something for free! To help promote the sale/offer, update your home page to include messaging that features the offer and make the design festive to align the holiday season. It’s also a good idea to put a banner on interior pages to reinforce the offer as the users explore your web site.
Also, don’t forget to update your meta descriptions to include the offer; holiday shoppers will be looking for a deal and by including the offer in your meta description, you are likely to stand apart from the rest of the search results. Just make sure you update your meta descriptions after the holidays, or you may have some angry customers still looking for a deal after the holidays are long over.
Pay-Per-Click Advertising
If you are active in Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, include information about the offer in your ads, this will reinforce the offer and entice users to click on your add. Ad copy should focus on convenience for the shopper. Most marketers focus strictly on pushing their products and services, but consumers are looking for more, especially during the holidays. Showcase things like guaranteed delivery and customer service within the ad copy and don’t be afraid to test out relevant holiday related keywords (i.e. holiday gifts).
Social Media
Use Social Media to push your holiday related content and offers via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, etc. Offer discounts via Twitter and Facebook and reward those who “fan” and “follow” you. Add AddThis code to your site, which will enable users to share products/items they find on Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Got a product to demo? YouTube is a great platform for product demos. Consider a custom one for the holidays, including a festive background or design.
Email
If you have an opt-in list, then by all means market to them via email. Send targeted campaigns featuring special offers or discounts on products and/or services. Include the offer in your subject line, be festive with the design and keep the messaging timely. Holiday “gift guides” make great content for email campaigns and can tie-in multiple products and/or services into one campaign.
Blogs
Hopefully you already have a blog that supports your web site and/or company, if not…it’s a perfect time to start one.
Blogs are the perfect place to push holiday related content and topics. Make sure not to turn your posts into sales pitches, but instead focus on providing readers valuable content, which will attract readership and ultimately bring more people to your web site. Use your blog as a platform to communicate on a personal level with your customers with content like gift guides, holiday recipes, shipping tips, shopping lists, etc. Sound overwhelming? You can pre-write your blogs and schedule them to post during the hectic holiday season.
Consider running a contest/giveaway for people who comment on your posts, offer up a free product or service to one lucky reader – this will encourage comments on your blog.
Make “friends” with other bloggers in your industry and post comments on relevant blogs. This will get links back to your web site and position you well within this space….you never know when you may need to call in a favor. Building relationships with other relevant bloggers will benefit you in the long run, so invest the time now.
Tracking
Don’t forget to track all your efforts via Google Analytics, this will identify the channels and tactics that provided the most value and allow you to plan better for the 2010 holiday season.
Now that you have a plan…make your list, check it twice and put your plan to action. This should leave you with plenty of time for holiday decorations and gift exchanges.
