It's never too early to start your holiday marketing. As I walked through Bed Bath and Beyond in mid September, I witnessed a sparkly adorned tree and holiday furnishing items on full display. My mother laughed and remarked, "Here they go again. Already with the Christmas selling." But I knew she was secretly excited. Why wait for the snow to fall to get into the Christmas spirit?
In fact, the majority of e-retailers have already hopped aboard the the bandwagon—pardon, Santa's sleigh. According to a report by Internet Retailer in July, 42% of e-retailers had plans to begin their marketing push in September, while 23% were planning to start in October.
So it's time to burn the midnight oil on your holiday ideas! This is especially true if you're a brick-and-mortar establishment. You need to compete against the online competition with some digital engagement of your own.
This is the year to be a SOCIAL MEDIA BEAST
As we all know, social becomes increasingly paramount to the success of business every year. Here are some of the crucial benefits that social media holds for small businesses, according to Business 2 Community.
1) Increased traffic
2) Generated leads
3) Improved SEO
4) Reduced marketing spend
5) Improved sales
I know, it can be hard to get a grasp on all of these online communities. Let's get a lay of the landscape. Below is an infographic by offerpop on how marketers plan to leverage the various social medial tools for the 2014 holiday season. One important insight as you view this: 73% of marketers name Instagram as the breakout platform of 2014.
Now whenever you have a social media account, you're bound to have a few negative posts. Turns those negative comments into MERRY WISHES with these tips.
Time to gear up and boost your creative output online! If you would like to make sure your holiday marketing checklist is in order, feel free to click below and sign up for a free assessment.
