Defrosting your Christmas marketing
TJ Marketing Services Ltd
Outsourced Marketing Agency for SMEs. Always looking for an excuse to have a coffee. Visibility. Engagement. Growth.
‘Tis the season to be marketing. Love it or hate it, there’s no avoiding it. Whether Christmas music playing all around you fills you with cheer or drives you crazy, Christmas is coming.
If Christmas is nearly at the door, Christmas marketing has been sleeping in your bed for the last month.
Get an early start
Every year it seems that companies push the boundaries of when it’s acceptable to start talking about Christmas. There’s good reason for this. Planning a marketing strategy takes time and resources, so the earlier you start the better.
It is also important to understand the nature of ever-changing consumer behaviour. It might be tempting to copy and paste last year’s strategy, but the world is changing and so are consumer mindsets. Starting your planning early will allow you to accurately assess your environment.
With all the family complications that come with Christmas, people tend to plan ahead. Having your marketing ready for when the planning starts puts you at an advantage in your customer’s mind.
Christmas marketing can be overwhelming for consumers. They have all the world’s businesses shouting for their attention. It’s important to make it as easy as possible for them to get what they want from you. Whether that’s simplifying your landing pages or making your socials fun and straight to the point, find ways to simplify the process.
Don’t be the hero of the story
It might be tempting to sing your own praises, but it’s important to not be the hero of your own story. Find ways to bring your customers into the narrative. Engaging your customers will be more beneficial than shouting “Hey! Everybody, come see how good I look!” like some corporate Ron Burgundy.
Don’t emphasise authority, rather be the guide. A simple way to do this is to shift focus from the solutions you offer to the benefits for the consumer. Try to be as helpful as possible. People will appreciate their problems being solved over having products and services shoved in their face.
SOCIAL media
The run up to Christmas is the best time to get creative with your social media. It’s important to remember that you can’t just sell, sell, sell. Engaging your potential consumers on social media platforms will be far more valuable.
Work in fun Christmassy photoshops in your posts. Show the personal side of your business. People buy from people, and they will appreciate seeing the personality behind the brand.
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User-generated content is a great way to increase your engagement and shake off a stuffy image. Encourage your customers to post about your products or services in a fun way. They’re not going to vouch for you if they’re don’t believe in what you’re providing.
Giveaways and engaging competitions can be a fun way to kickstart user-generated content. Just remember that social media is social media, so socialise with your costumers.
Give it a personal touch
According to Octane AI 80% of consumers are more likely to buy from a brand that offers a personalised experience. People will value being treated as individuals. Consider ways you can add a personal touch to your marketing channels. This isn’t possible for all channels but where it is possible, such as in your email campaigns, it’s worth implementing.
Personalised experiences with your brand don’t just have to be about selling. Valuing your existing customers should be high on your priority list, and Christmas is a great time to show your appreciation.
If you’re a B2B company, sending Christmas cards to your customers is a small but significant gesture. Just be sure not to apply a copy and paste method. This will be glaringly obvious and can be off-putting. Instead, consider a hand-written message, however short.
Remarketing
Christmas is the perfect time for remarketing. Reminding consumers what they were interested in previously around this time will help you see results. With countless people to buy presents for and family meals to organise, it’s easy for consumers to forget what they were considering. Giving them a slight nudge and reminder with remarketing might just be the tipping point they need.
Christmas marketing done right can be a valuable asset to your business. It can also be a minefield. If you’re unsure about how to approach your marketing this Christmas, get in touch. I’ll leave you with the immortal words of Elf: “Santa’s coming!”
If you’d like to discuss Will Ferrell movies or Christmas marketing, let’s grab a coffee, even if it’s a gingerbread one.
Telephone: 01604 698948
Mobile: 07462 809251