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‘Tis the season for holiday marketing magic. The season for marketers to strategically analyse their data and create campaigns that capture consumers attention and spend. During this busy time, it’s possible for even the best marketer to make marketing mistakes and commit crippling marketing sins. A lot is at stake during the silly season. Poorly planned marketing strategies and lackluster tactics may waste your time, effort and marketing budget.

In order to help your business to make the most of its holiday marketing effort, we’ve listed holiday marketing mistakes that you should avoid.

ASSUMING MASSIVE SALES

Hope for the best, but plan for the worst. Don’t get too excited and assume massive sales too early. Competition is rife, so set realistic goals based on historical data!

Here’s how to avoid this Marketing Mistake:

Be grounded and realistic. Set goals and targets. Plan out your offers strategically so that you won’t impact your bottom line. Make sure you can keep up with your promotions [stock and delivery dates] and your rivals.

ASSUMING MORE TRAFFIC, MEANS MORE SALES

Website Traffic 101: not all traffic is created equally and not all traffic will convert into sales. It's great that an increase in likes, comments, clicks, web visits, and app downloads are there, but ultimately conversions are the ultimate goal. Make sure you have a plan B & C, so that if traffic is not converting, you can review your strategy and pivot quickly. 

 Here’s how to avoid this mistake:

Targeting your campaign to the right audience is the key here. Retargeting your existing, warm database with great offers and reminding them why they love your brand will also be effective in increasing conversions. 

DON'T GO OVERBOARD ON DISCOUNTS

Holiday promotions are NOT always about DISCOUNTS. Most marketers that run out of new ideas stick to this "go-to" game plan. But if your margins are already low, this will cripple your holiday profits.

 Here’s what you should do:

Avoid being known as ‘the place to buy cheap stuff'. Focus on your business' and products unique selling point and add further value. Avoid dramatic discounts this year and focus on giving the best customer experience. Alternatives to discounts might include "christmas wrapping included", "gift cards included" or "shipping included" [if its viable. 

NOT UPDATING WEBSITE THEME, DESIGN & UX

Like your home, physical stores and shopping malls that redecorate for the holidays, your site must not be left behind. And it’s not just simply adding a Christmas tree image on the home page – we say go crazy! Try and find a holiday plug in or add christmas watermarks to your graphics.

 Here’s what you should do:

Update your website imagery, create a Christmas Catalogue, create Christmas related blogs, a gift generator, gift ideas, offer custom Christmas packaging or create a wishlist feature! Ensure added features are user-friendly and can be navigated easily. Promote these ads across all of your channels and platforms to maximise reach.

IGNORING OPTIMISATION 

Your Christmas campaign is underway - But you completely forgot to check for mobile optimization and browser rendering! There are countless internet browsers, phone brands, phone generations and sizes of android and ios mobile devices. Neglecting to test all devices and browsers for optimisation could significantly damage your Christmas campaign.

 Here’s how to optimise:

Right click and inspect. Every browser has a developer mode which enable you to see what your website will look like on other devices. If this seems like a foreign language to you, make sure you partner with a Digital Marketing Agency that can test and ensure your landing pages are optimized. Don’t just check the design, ensure all website functionalities [such as payment gateways] are tested.

EMOTIONLESS MESSAGES

‘Tis the season to be jolly, loving, caring, kind and enjoy all of those warm and fuzzy emotions. So don’t be sarcastic, boring or toneless! Evoke emotion through your marketing messages because ‘Tis the season to be jolly, Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la.  

 Here’s how to put some melody in your message or email:

Inject some personality, emotion and be genuine.  Let your inner auto chatbot take a holiday and work your magic to deliver a personalized, heartfelt, holiday message.

Don’t let the stress of Christmas get you as red as Rudolf’s nose. You have got this. Survive and thrive. Equip your business with a well-planned strategic campaign to prevent common mistakes. Wishing you a Jolly Christmas Marketing campaign!

Is your website starved for some holiday sparkle? Contact Elephant in the Boardroom for the perfect digital Christmas recipe!
Email: [email protected]

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