As the whirlwind of the winter holiday shopping season winds down, it can be tempting to kick back. And for some companies—especially retailers—January and February may indeed provide a welcome breather.
But just because some business slows doesn’t mean it’s time to put your marketing on pause. In fact, Q1 can be the most valuable time of year for holiday marketing, especially when it comes to strategizing and planning. As you transition into 2024, consider how you can use these quieter early months to your long-term advantage.
Analyze Your Black Friday/Cyber Monday Data
The first—and perhaps most important—pillar of holiday marketing planning is conducting a post-mortem of your recent efforts. This means running detailed analytics on your key marketing metrics for Q4, including clickthroughs, conversions and ROI. What did you get right this year and what needs to happen next Black Friday and Cyber Week? How can you use the coming year to prepare for stronger outcomes?
Look closely at your customer data and see what insights you can glean and leverage for future campaigns. Learn what worked for which key audience segments and where you should be targeting your marketing spend. Identify where you’re lacking data or personalization capabilities and consider investing in an upgraded tech stack.
With third-party cookies mostly out of the picture, you’ll need to be more proactive to learn about your customers. Send out surveys, reach out with personalized emails or engage on social media to elicit more of their thoughts. Zero- and first-party data, done correctly, can help build more trusting relationships between businesses and their customers.
Re-Romance Your Winter Customers
January and February are key months for retargeting past customers—especially those you sold to over the holiday season. Any outreach during this time will be less expected and more likely to get noticed. You’ll also have the advantage of still being top of mind with recent purchasers. No matter what you’re selling, reconnect with customers to thank them for their holiday business.
You can also use a well-timed email or text message (or two) to urge customers to add to their supply of your products. If you sell apparel, try a “complete the look” email with personalized style recommendations to go with what’s already in their closets. If you’re a software vendor, suggest an upgrade to a higher-tier subscription or offer beta access.
If you can market your product or service from any sort of wellness angle, now’s the time to take advantage. Customers are still optimistic about their New Year’s resolutions and looking for ways to support them. Position a calendar or scheduling app as a way to stick to a new workout or eating regimen. Market a luxury backpack as the perfect vessel for toting gym clothes or yoga gear.
Create Your Holiday Campaign Calendar
It’s never too soon to start planning ahead for the rest of the year’s festive events and commemorations. In January, script stellar Super Bowl promotions (if you haven’t already) and craft clever messaging to connect with customers on Valentine’s Day. Reach out with game day product offers and “we [heart] our customers” love notes.
Prepare to engage with customers during Black History Month in February, but be sure you do so in the right ways. Partner with Black influencers and Black-owned businesses and amplify diverse, intersectional voices. Focus on creating connection—not on selling. Customers are hypersensitive to disingenuous or poorly-thought out campaigns, which can damage your brand’s reputation.
Map out the rest of the year, from St. Patrick’s Day to Halloween to your next Black Friday/Cyber Week, getting key dates and deadlines on the calendar. Determine what resources you’ll need to implement each campaign, including tech. Start working with influencers early—especially micro and nano influencers—to ensure a good fit and generate buzz. Develop plans, source testimonials and reviews and design hashtags for year-round UCG campaigns.
Stay in the Spirit
As more holiday shopping shifts online, seasonal timelines tend to spread out and become more fluid. Black Friday is no longer just one day, and customers know a good deal can come any day of the year.
Don’t be afraid to sell hard just because you’ve “missed” an important holiday. You can always reframe your campaign as an extended offer. You can also play up unusual events like National Taco Day or Talk Like Shakespeare Day.
Customers, especially Gen Zers and millennials, appreciate honesty and authenticity from brands, above all else. Whether you aim for whimsical, educational or heartfelt customer outreach, make it authentic to your brand voice and values. That’s a winning strategy, whatever the occasion.
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December 17, 2023 at 08:00PM
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How To Maximize Your Holiday Marketing Strategy For Business Growth - Forbes
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