6 Ways to Jumpstart Your Digital Strategy for the Holiday Season

It’s hard to believe we’re only a few months away from the upcoming holiday season, but how this year has gone, maybe it isn’t hard to believe. Consumers are already thinking about their holiday shopping and if you have yet to consider your digital strategy for the upcoming holiday season, now is the time to begin!

#1 Preseason Prep

The first step to take when determining your digital strategy for the upcoming holiday season is to get all of your ducks in a row. Start with a list of goals you wish to accomplish during the holidays. Think about what you did last year and how you want to improve upon your performance. Whether you are looking to increase sales, service appointments, or are looking for increased community engagement, establish your goals and design your strategy around them.

#2 Plan Out Your Content Strategy

A well thought out content strategy could be the differentiating factor between potential customers choosing you over a competitor. From blogs, to newsletter’s, social media posts, and advertisements your content strategy should be fueled by the goals you establish during your holiday preparation. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when developing your content strategy:

Anticipate Trends

Consider what your business has been through in years past and what your customers were looking for during the holiday season when developing your content. This year may look different in regard to consumer shopping behaviors as many retailers cancel their black Friday events so their employees can be home with family. Online shopping will be bigger than ever!

Ask Your Audience

If you are really stuck coming up with your content strategy, ask your audience what they’d like to see. Most commonly consumers want to see your best possible discount/promotion of the year, but it doesn’t always have to be about discounting. You could run a giveaway or even partner with other local business for a big raffle.

Review Past Content

Take a look back at what content you published during the holiday season in previous years. See what worked well, what didn’t, and how you can improve the performance for 2020.

#3 Dial in Your Email Campaigns

Email marketing is one of the highest converting digital tactics you can do. Ensure your campaigns are reflective of your determined content strategy and always push promotions or giveaways to your email audience first as they are typically the most loyal customers.

To stand out in a sea of emails, start your email with a strong hook for a subject line and don’t be afraid to ad an emoji to evoke more emotion.

#4 Determine Your Advertising Strategy

To amplify your reach and increase sales goals, advertising is a great option. Depending on your business, the choice of online platform could vary, however, for the most part Facebook is a viable option. Facebook offers a variety of campaign objectives to help you reach your goals and put your business in front of thousands of online users.

Since COVID began, many advertisers have paused their efforts which has freed up ad space, but we guarantee anyone who is looking to increase their holiday goals in 2020 will be advertising online.

#5 Embrace the Holiday Spirit

When it comes to embracing the holiday spirit, sprinkling a dash of holiday joy in your digital strategy could make all the difference. From your tone of voice in your content strategy to your customer service, the holidays are a time to be thankful for your business, your employees, and your customers. Anything less will likely not be appreciated.

#6 Be Socially Responsible

2020 has been rough to say the least and being conscious to the world events is important when speaking to your customers online. If you’re looking for ways to make a bigger social impact, consider partnering with charities or other organizations that you and your customers can help support. Always be genuine and remember that there are bigger things in this world than pushing sales down the throat of your followers.

If your business needs help navigating the digital landscape and developing an effective strategy for the upcoming holiday season, MAM can help!