2013 has a shorter Holiday season, by 6 days. Retailers who count on making a substantial amount of their profits at year end, will have to fight harder to break through the clutter of with targeted, meaningful promotions.
Many retailers started offering special holiday promotions before black Friday, to get a head start and make up for the shorter shopping season.
What can you do to maximize your selling opportunities? If you have a customer base and a well managed list (if you don’t, this is the time to start), you can create super targeted promotions based on past purchasing habits and other profile information on your customer. Leveraging opt-in lists and sending promotions to those who have already given permission, your texts or emails will not be thought of spam.
Use multiple touch points. Using print, web, email, text and social media will give you a multipronged approach to reach your potential customer at every available opportunity. It is to your advantage to create a seamless shopping experience on multiple platforms.
Target mobile customers. Mobile customers search for a product or service when they are in a buying stage. Mobile searchers are predominantly looking for instant gratification, whether it is buying a product or service now, or getting additional information that will influence a purchase decision at a later time.
Use social media – Another strong driver this holiday season. Pinterest, Facebook and Youtube are popular with retailers to showcase products and connect with customers. Use search marketing to drive customers to social media properties and convert more of those browsers into fans and long term customers.
A shorter holiday season doesn’t have to mean reduced sales. Market extra heavily, digital marketing costs have a great ROI and you can launch promotions in hours, not days or weeks. Understand your audience and their preferences, make your offers clear and compelling. “Don’t Make Them Think”.
