Summer is ending, which can only mean … The holiday season is nearly here.
And consumers won’t waste any time crossing items off their lists. Facebook reported that in 2018, it began to see holiday sales start to spike in October. Meantime, Google saw searches for terms “gifts for” and “gifts from” also ramping up in October.
That means now is the time to implement the digital strategies that will maximize revenue.
Need some help?
The StitcherAds team partnered with Brainlabs to create “The Retailer’s Holiday Guide to Paid Search and Social.” In it, we outline the top digital marketing strategies retailers need to maximize sales this holiday season.
Here’s a sneak peek of the digital strategies featured in the guide.
Identify key periods and products from previous seasons.
Before you kick off your holiday campaigns, review your campaign data from previous years to inform your actions for this year.
For Google Ads campaigns, look for key periods. During the holiday season, retailers tend to see a ramp-up period, a peak period, and then a rapid decline in demand.
For Google Shopping campaigns, look for key products. Your data from last year might show that your bestselling products vary when it comes to gift-giving. Products that usually yield a low-search volume can see a spike in conversions during the holidays. For example, a custom ornament will likely perform poorly from January to September, but that might change for Black Friday. Use your findings to evaluate how you will bid on your campaigns.
Optimize for online and in-store sales.
As digital marketers, it can be easy to forget about in-store shoppers. But, it’s important to give these buyers equal weight. Data from Shopkick cited by Retail Dive found that 55% of Gen Z consumers will do the majority of their holiday shopping in-store, as will 54% of Boomers.
One way to cater to in-store shoppers on Facebook & Instagram is to leverage Dynamic Ads for Retail. This tool will automate showing relevant items to the shoppers who are more inclined to buy in physical stores. By layering this with a local inventory feed, retailers can highlight product availability and prices across all brick-and-mortar locations.
From a creative standpoint, retailers need to ensure their omnichannel ads include:
- compelling copy that encourages shoppers to interact with products in person;
- a map card highlighting the nearest store location, hours, and distance from the user;
- and information on where to get products (online, in-store, buy online pick up in-store).
Turn your print catalog into a digital experience.
One-third of U.S. consumers look to catalogs, flyers, and newspapers to search for Black Friday promotions, according to a study from Periscope by McKinsey.
Print is a great medium for communicating localized deals and products, but these catalogs are mass-marketed. In a time where consumers expect personalization and information in real-time, print catalogs fail to deliver.
Leading retailers are solving for this by transforming their catalogs into shoppable, personalized ad units on Facebook & Instagram. And by leveraging local inventory information in this format, consumers can get access to localized offers, prices, and products as they become available in real-time.
Build for the Instagram Stories crowd.
There’s no denying that Instagram Stories is on fire. Some 69% of people become more interested in a brand or product after seeing it on Stories, according to research from Facebook.
Instagram Stories users tend to skew younger. So, for retailers looking to connect with Gen Z and millennial consumers – this format is ideal.
To cater to these shoppers, marketers should rely on lifestyle imagery and authentic-looking video. This aligns with what they are seeing on the platform and will feel organic. Here’s a great example from Primark.
In addition to using relatable content, the retailer also layers location tags onto their images and videos to let users know products are available in their nearest store.
Ace your digital marketing strategies for the holidays.
In less than one month, shoppers will be getting into holiday mode. Are you prepared to meet the demand? There’s still time to elevate your campaigns. For more digital marketing strategies, download "The Retailer’s Holiday Guide to Paid Search and Social.” This comprehensive guide includes 13+ in-depth tactics, as well as success stories from leading retailers like Primark, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Cosabella.
