In spite of the pandemic, some businesses have experienced massive growth due to either a better distribution angle (digital/ecommerce), eat-at-home demand placed on grocery stores and the rise of Instacart, the business that sold hand sanitizer or liquor, or simply that the business was named Netflix, Amazon or Zoom.
These factors and conditions still exist, and if economists are right, we’re on the verge of a massive online boom this upcoming holiday season.
So, if you take the right actions now, you might be able to make up some or the entirety of the deficits you’ve experienced in your 2021 revenues.
However, if you don’t, things might not turn out so well for your small business.
As we head deeper into November, you may be starting to feel that hint of crispness in the air or it still might be hot outside where you live, but one significant appearance - the pumpkin spice latte - signifies at least some small rite of fall passage around a barista station near you.
In case you hadn't noticed, our friends from Starbucks reintroduced its Pumpkin Spice Latte all the way back on August 24th, which just happens to be the earliest date the coffee chain has ever made their signature seasonal beverage.
Dunkin' actually beat them to the punch by debuting its fall-flavored lineup on August 18, close to three weeks before Labor Day.
With all due respect to the Pumpkin Spice Latte Hatin' Al Roker, welcome to Holiday Marketing 2021 in a Covid world.
Say what you (or Al) might, but planning ahead will make the difference of being here or not come January in this teetering economy of 2021.
So while it may be a bit too late to prepare for a Halloween windfall, we can certainly get you shored up to the remainder of this challenging 2021 holiday season.
If nobody knows about your Black Friday sale until November 26th, it’s too late!
That might not only be too late for this year but perhaps for the overall survival of your business.
As for many businesses, holiday sales often make up more than 20% of annual income. So you really need to get it into gear.
For some general reference, Starbucks was prepping for their Fall releases when the rest of us were still reeling from the economic turn of events set into motion from the pandemic.
And you know that as soon as these lattes arrived, Starbucks will have the campaign in place to launch their winter round of holiday elixirs.
So if you feel a bit behind the 8-ball with holiday revenue pressure – relax or at least pay attention as we’ve been doing a little bit of prep work ourselves and have put together the perfect plan for you to triage the remainder of 2021.
AND make the most of the best holiday promotions for your own business.
Take a look at what the team has mapped out for you as to when and what you need as you begin preparations for the major holidays.
Plus, when you should have it all ready to go, as well as when you should launch your promotions.
A Four-Step Guide For Drafting Your 2021 Holiday Marketing Manifesto
The holiday season is just around the corner. Customers are gearing up for some much-awaited holiday shopping.
And businesses are amplifying their marketing initiatives to give that final ‘revenue-generating’ push before the year ends.
Among this entire holiday hullabaloo, how prepared are you to ace your holiday marketing?
The Proof Is In The Plan
To get the most out of your business promotion efforts around the holiday season, you need to think logically and prepare in advance.
After all, the absence of a well-thought-out seasonal marketing plan means you run the risk of overspending and not getting the results you were expecting.
We will look at the top four things to consider while preparing for your 2021 holiday marketing without getting overwhelmed or going overboard.
Let’s dive in!
When To Promote?
Almost as important as the actual holiday marketing is the clarity on when is the best time to market your business.
Considering that a lot of holidays come and go, it’s crucial to know which holidays hold particular value for your customers and which ones aren’t that important.
You will also want to think about how your products and services can enhance the lives of your ideal customers during a holiday or holiday season.
A great place to start is by going over your buyer persona and looking at the holiday season from your customers’ eyes.
Doing so will ensure that you spend your holiday marketing budget wisely and also get the best results.
How To Stand Out?
The holidays are all about making your target customer feel special and showing them how you can add to their holiday experience.
Keep in mind that at this time, a lot of businesses are probably bombarding them with offers that are too good to be true.
So it’s essential to make your communication as genuine and real as possible if you wish to differentiate your brand and stand out from the clutter.
One way to do this is to frame your holiday marketing campaigns such that they showcase the value addition you’re promising through a relatable story that forms an emotional connection with your audiences.
Even though you are looking at generating and converting more and more leads, what you bring to the table and how you present it to your customers is of paramount importance.
What To Offer?
The most crucial part of your holiday marketing is finalizing what’s on offer.
Since it’s the holidays, your promotion campaign needs to be around the key experience a customer will have if they choose to engage with your brand.
Will your product or service make their life easier or perhaps happier?
Say, for example, yours is a home decoration business. You can choose to promote the benefits of hiring your company for setting up Christmas decorations and saving on time during the busy holiday season.
The idea is to work out a strong value proposition for all your marketing campaigns and promoting them well, with clear calls to action.
You want to make it easy for your ideal customer to see the immense benefits of what you are offering and buying from you NOW.
There’s a lot you can do with your holiday marketing so get your thinking caps on!
How To Get Your Promotion Up And Running?
Once you’ve figured out which holidays are ideal for your holiday marketing initiatives, ways to stand out and what you’ll be offering, it’s now time to decide which channels are best to run your seasonal holiday promotional campaigns.
For starters, you’ll want to update your website, the face of your company on the internet, to reflect the season you are promoting.
Next comes your company Newsletter which is another valuable channel to send your holiday offer to your current customer base.
By now, you’re probably also active on social media and using it to interact with your prospects.
Start posting updates on each of your social handles to create a buzz around your holiday marketing campaigns and get maximum exposure.
Of course, before you can start doing that, you will need a treasure-trove of some of the best creative banners and images to post on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, and any other relevant social media sites.
Make sure all the images are designed in the right dimensions to ensure a good visual impact.
Advertising is another excellent way to give your campaigns a push, so consider running your advertisements on Facebook and Instagram to reach a wider audience.
The great thing about these channels is that they allow you to show ads to your most targeted audience.
You can also schedule your ads, track their performance and tweak your campaigns.
Schedule Your Holiday Marketing Plan Now!
The holidays are a great time of the year to boost your business visibility and add value to your customers’ lives with great offers.
If you want to make this is revenue-generating time for your business and not one that unnecessarily blasts your budget, focus on selecting the most relevant holidays for your holiday marketing initiatives.
Dates To Prepare For Your Holiday Marketing
- November 1 -3 - Start your Thanksgiving promotion and start prepping your Christmas marketing
- November 3 - Start winter preparations for marketing
- November 17 - Get your Christmas and winter marketing assets ready
- November 22 - Start your online Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales
- November 26 - Black Friday
- November 29 - Start Christmas promotions
- November 29 - Cyber Monday
- November 30 - Start winter promotions
- December 8 - Start preparations for New Year marketing
- December 15 - Have New Year's assets ready
- December 27 - Start New Year's promotions
More Tips:
- Create social posts about the promotions you will be running before they start to create some buzz and excitement. This will get your audience in the buying mode.
- Use the end of the holiday to create a sense of urgency for your customers to get your deals before they are gone.
Happy Holidays!
