Are you thinking about Christmas yet? We’re not talking about your Christmas shopping but Christmas Campaigns for marketing your business leading up to “the most wonderful time of the year”. With less than 100 days to go until Christmas day, it’s worth taking a moment to think about your marketing strategy.
With many people continuing to work from home, there has never been a more prime time to ramp up your digital marketing. Whether you’re using a laptop, computer or mobile device, it’s clear that we’ve never been as dependant on digital technology as we have throughout the Coronavirus Pandemic. Therefore it’s safe to say that social media has never been as effective at placing businesses right in front of their customers (and potential customers), on screen as it has right now.
With a little bit of planning (and maybe a small advertising budget) you can create a simple campaign leading up to Christmas – and New Year if you wish to do so – to inspire and harness the attention of your target audience. Starting now will get you in people’s head-space before they’ve even started to spend their money.
Back in 2018 the BBC reported that 1 in 5 UK residents had completed their Christmas shopping by October/November! By purchasing gifts at an earlier date it means that people can have a calmer experience of Christmas and enjoy the season without the financial and time pressures of leaving the shopping to the last minute.
Why should I plan my Christmas Campaign from September?
Get ahead of the game with your Christmas Campaign so that you’re already in your target audience’s mind. As they start to think about gifts, you want to get them to think about YOU and your products. Showcase your products in a way that shows people how they fit into their lifestyle – why should they buy your product? Then when they’re ready to start shopping, you’re already on their radar.
According to the Centre for Retail Research, in 2019, “more than half of all online retail spending in the UK at Christmas was through mobile ordering.” With more restrictions being put in place to limit face-to-face contact, and selling platforms like Amazon.co.uk making purchases just “one click away”, online shopping has become an even more convenient method of shopping from the comfort (and safety) of your own home.
What will I gain from planning my Christmas Campaign?
It’s a bit cheesy but the saying is still true; “fail to plan, plan to fail”. Not only does planning your campaign and content in advance take away some of the time-pressures from your shoulders but it also allows you to be more pro-active in getting your message out there. You may even get ahead of your competitors! If there are posts you can schedule in advance, get them lined up. Then you can dot real-time or more reactive content in between if you wish to do so.
If you plan to run a paid advertising campaign (eg. Facebook Advertising) then you can run this in conjunction with your social media activity too – like a double-whammy! The beauty of social media advertising is that you can target specific audiences and direct people to your online shop if you have one, making Christmas shopping even easier; take the hard work out of festive shopping for your customers. Make the process as easy as possible (this includes an east checkout process on your website or selling site – you don’t want to lose people at the last minute).
Some people tap into sales and discount codes to push sales at this time. Everyone loves a bargain and if this is a way to help spread the cost of Christmas shopping, people are likely to take it. Don’t forget how popular Black Friday has become!
Overall you can use this time to educate people about your products and showcase them as the perfect Christmas gift. Whether you run a sale or not, now is the time for you to start putting the message out there.
If you’re looking for a digital marketing company to either train you how to use social media effectively for your business or you’d like to outsource to a specialist social media company, get in touch with us on 01484 506336 or drop us an email to info@socialprogress.co.uk