The phrase, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” that we keep hearing during the holiday season doesn’t just apply to kids and families. It also rings true for business. Sales surge during November and December, thanks to Christmas shoppers buying presents and décor. In fact, according to a recent infographic by MDG Advertising, “In 2011, online sales increased by 74% the week before Christmas”.
Take full advantage of the season by optimizing your site and brand for the holidays. The following tips below are some great ideas that you can implement during the following weeks to ensure that you’ll be able to get as much business as possible:
Use holiday-themed ads – By now you should already recognize the importance of being relevant and targeted when it comes to online advertising. This season, don’t just stop at targeting ads by consumer location or demographic; step it up a notch and inject your ads with something that’s related to the holidays. Whether it’s promoting your site’s Christmas sale, or showcasing products and services that you serve as great presents, be sure to include the holiday spirit into your advertisements to really entice customers.
Update your cover photos accordingly – Make sure your social media fans are in on the holiday fun as well. Switch up your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ cover photos to something that’s relevant to the time of the year. This will not only remind your fans to think of you during the holidays; it will also demonstrate your efforts to keep up with the times.
Sprinkle your blog with holiday posts – Publish holiday-related posts on your blog, every now and then. This season is rich with article ideas that you can use on your site. From naughty and nice lists to gift ideas, to holiday survival tips, you’re bound to come up with some significant and beneficial articles that people can use. What’s more, since you’re posting something that’s relevant to the season, your holiday posts are more likely to be shared and searched for online.
Keep running campaigns even after the holidays – Don’t be in such a hurry to close up shop after December 25. MDG Advertising further shared that “57% of Americans will be shipping the day after Christmas”, which means that you can keep your sales signs up even if it’s past Christmas day itself. Accommodate these (very) late holiday shoppers by making sure that you still have some deals and promos in place.
For Next year: Vow to Start Early – If you started your holiday advertising early this year, then congratulations! You effectively maximized your chances of getting holiday sales and traffic. In fact it looks like more and more businesses are realizing that it pays to be early during the holiday season. According to MDG Advertising, in “2012, 42% of retailers started Christmas advertising in October.”
However, if you missed the boat on unveiling early holiday specials, don’t fret. There’s always next year. Besides, like what we previously mentioned, you can still accommodate late Christmas shoppers by keeping your deals up even after the actual holiday.
Image credit: theogeo on Flickr
Related articles
Admedia Services & Resources
xml search feed || online advertising cost || internet online marketing advertising business || interstitial ad || cost per view advertising || cpv advertising || publisher ad network || what is retargeting