Back-to-school displays are being replaced with Halloween merchandise, and before we know it, Christmas decorations will be upon us. As much as we don’t want to accept that winter will be here before we know it, the marketing departments behind these displays are not too far off.
It is time to start working on your holiday ad and marketing campaigns before the season officially kicks off. Holiday campaigns can be effective if done correctly, and timing is critical in order to make a significant impact.
So pull out your Santa hat, grab a mug of peppermint hot chocolate, and keep reading as we share why it’s time to implement your holiday ad campaigns!
Why you should start your holiday ad campaigns now:
1. People are shopping earlier than ever.
With the current state of the economy and the increase in inflation, people are starting their shopping now. This proactive approach helps decrease the stress of the holiday season, so they can avoid shopping during peak traffic.
People often start their holiday shopping early in the hopes that they can find items for good deals. If they give themselves enough time, they have the ability to take their time and weigh their options rather than feel pressured to make a purchase.
The market of people shopping well in advance of the holidays is steadily increasing. Starting your holiday advertisements early will ensure that you are reaching this group and not missing any of these potential conversions.
2. Get a head start on the competition.
We all know the drill: come November, our feeds are overtaken with ad after ad. Eventually, we hit our limit and just start to tune everything out.
The market becomes extremely oversaturated the closer you get to the holidays. Everyone will have marketing campaigns running, and promotions will be active. If you start your holiday campaigns early, you are more likely to get noticed. Running your ads before your target customers start to feel overwhelmed will help you stand out and secure your place at the forefront of consumers’ minds.
Not only will starting your holiday advertisements early help you stand out from your competition, but it will also give you the opportunity to build excitement with your target audience. Creating some buzz surrounding your upcoming holiday promotions will strategically build anticipation for your campaign launch.
3. Have a contingency plan.
You probably know all too well that it’s very rare for marketing strategies to go exactly as planned. In fact, it’s actually quite common that once you launch an advertising campaign, adjustments need to be made.
Launching your holiday ads now gives you the flexibility to optimize your campaigns. You can consistently analyze your campaign’s performance, make necessary changes, or decide to go in a different direction altogether.
This opportunity to regroup in order to ensure you are in alignment with your goals is extremely valuable for organizations. Especially during the holiday season!
4. Different channels, different lead times.
It’s so important to remember that your marketing strategy will be different depending on the platform you are working on.
The first step is identifying what channels you are going to be running holiday ads on. Depending on the channel, you may need to begin set-up months in advance. Others may have more flexibility.
Scheduling your campaigns to begin at the optimal time will give you enough lead time to see results. Some forms of advertising, like pay-per-click ads, are more effective if you dedicate more time to the initial set-up phase. Having ample time for data collection and A/B testing will lead to more successful ads!
Holiday Marketing Campaign Tips:
Make an investment in cross-channel marketing. The number of people who rely on online marketing when making their purchases is higher than ever. Make sure you are ready to reach buyers, no matter where they are looking!
Don’t stress about having all the details figured out from the beginning. With the holiday season still months away, it can be tough to predict exactly what your customers will respond to. Start small and ramp up your campaigns gradually so they are in full swing once you hit peak holiday shopping time.
Don’t forget to focus on how you can support in-store shoppers. Make sure your Google Business Profile has accurate information, including location and hours. You can also look at running local SEO ads.
If you’re hesitant to start spreading Christmas cheer this early, set your focus on the other upcoming seasonal holidays. Participating in holidays like Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday can ease you into the busy shopping season. These additional opportunities to boost sales can also have significant relevance to your business.
Looking for help managing your holiday ad campaigns?
Bluetrain can help! First, we’ll chat goals, audience, budget, and timeline, then build and manage your online ad campaign. We have tried and true experience with all the steps in the advertising campaign planning process and have helped our clients see great success over holiday seasons in the past! Visit our Online Advertising page to learn more about this service.
Even when you amplify your ads during the holidays, it’s still important to continue with other marketing initiatives, such as social media, content marketing, and creating digital strategies. This helps build brand awareness and generate revenue no matter the time of year. Reach out to our team for support in these complementary areas!