The winter holidays may seem to be in the distant future, but if you are launching holiday themed campaigns, the time to prepare is NOW. If you want a successful, thoughtful campaign, your team should be brainstorming and creating a plan ASAP. Check out these tips to help your plan holiday marketing campaigns:

1. Make a Plan

The first thing you need to do is strategize and plan out what type of campaigns or events you want to promote during the holidays. This time of the year is a great chance to reach out to your customers because this season is packed full of holidays, which means it is pack full of chances for you to connect to your clients. Here is a list of some of the upcoming holiday you may want to keep in mind.

▪ Halloween, October 31

▪ Veterans Day, November 11

▪ Thanksgiving (U.S.), November 24

▪ Black Friday, November 25

▪ Small Business, Saturday, November 26

▪ Cyber Monday, November 28

▪ Giving Tuesday, November 29

▪ Hanukkah, December 24 – January 1

▪ Christmas, December 25

▪ Boxing Day, December 26

▪ New Year’s Eve, December 31

Just because this season has a ton of holidays, doesn’t mean you need to have a giant blow out sale on every one of them. In fact, it’s better if you don’t. Consumers don’t always need a sale to draw them in. Skip promotions that include all the bells and whistles (BOGO, 50% Off, Closeout Sale, Black Friday Extravaganza). Customers are drawn to companies and brands that are authentic, stand for a cause and care about their customers. This time of the year gives your brand the opportunity to connect with more people. Some of the different ways you can do this is by:

▪Promotions that benefit charity

▪Holiday cards

▪Hosting holiday events

▪Thank letters for customers from the past year

▪Giving customers the chance to receive extra add on gifts

▪Discounts for those who give back to the community (teachers, military, emergency workers)

2. Design

Next, start developing the artwork as soon as possible. It’s important to do this early on, because it takes time to establish new templates and designs. If you rush it, the design will be sloppy and not as visually appealing. It is also good to start early, so you can work out any problems or revisions that may come up. Staying relevant and fresh is vital to keeping customers and pulling new ones in. Growing, progressive retailers are consistently changing artwork, layout and basic design, so their look is fresh. Your design should be targeted towards the specific audience you want to bring in, so your ads must speak to them in a unique way. If your demographic is baby boomers you may want a more clean and sophisticated design, opposed to something brighter and more trendy directed towards millennials.

3. Implementation

Once your plan is in place and you artwork is ready, it’s time to actually implement your plan. It’s to your own benefit to have multiple channels to reach your customers. A great way to reach  your clientele with push promotions is email and social media. These are the best platforms for things like holiday events, time-sensitive campaigns, charity drives and will reach a wider audience. These are simple, but effective ways to get your company noticed. If you want to have a more personal and authentic feel, take the time to have your promotions materials printed. Printing marketing materials such as holiday and thank you cards, help customers gain a sense of appreciation when they are printed and mailed out.

Marketing during the holidays can be really beneficial for your company. It is important to connect with people on a more personal level and the holidays are a great time for that. If you would like to go more in depth on holiday marketing, please feel free to contact us any time. We are happy to help.