We’re not here to instill panic, but the holidays are looming! It may be too early for New Year’s Resolutions, but what about those pesky end-of-year business goals?
It’s not too late to end your year strong, meet your goals, and carry the spirit (and ROI) of the holidays into the new year.
Here are three marketing ideas that you can implement this week. Need some help? Fill out the form when you’re done with your holiday marketing plan, and we’ll be in touch.
Implement a Paid Search Campaign to Increase Website Traffic
When you want a way to get in front of holiday searchers quickly, look no further than search marketing. It doesn’t matter whether they’re looking for the perfect gift or trying to educate themselves on home repair services, we know that consumers are utilizing search engines during the holiday season more than ever before. So, make sure you’re there with a search marketing campaign.
Holiday shopping is expected to rise 5% this year, with 53% of all holiday shopping anticipated to be done digitally.
Search marketing can help your business get in front of customers searching for your goods or services. How, you might ask? With tailored search campaigns across Google, Bing, and Yahoo, of course! But, beware “ one solution does not fit all in the world of search marketing. Make sure you’re creating a custom strategy for each platform utilizing the keywords and phrases that resonate most with your business. (And, don’t worry if you don’t know what those are. A search marketing partner can help.)
Bonus: Make your campaigns holiday-specific by adding in verbiage specific to the season:
- Free shipping + specific holiday search trends, like: Best Gifts for Mom
- Any end of year sales: Book Now, Service Later
- Plus, a combination of broad, phrase, and exact (keyword) match to guarantee you’re reaching a wide audience.
- Broad Match keywords show your ads to people searching for things similar to their search, but not precisely the same phrase. This can include long-tail keywords, misspellings, synonyms and other variations.
- Phrase Match shows your ads on search that match a phrase or are a variation of a phrase. This is especially important as people search in long-tail sentences, more so than keywords.
Run a Display Campaign with Retargeting to Get More Leads
The holidays are a great time to capture more leads for your business going into the new year. Getting people to your website is a great start, but sometimes, it’s not enough. On average, 96% of visitors to your website aren’t ready to buy anything.
Think of your own browsing behavior; how long do you stay in the research phase? How many websites do you visit? One of the best ways to convert website visitors is with a display retargeting campaign that follows people as they continue their search, motivating them to convert on your website.
Even better news: Targeted display advertising with LOCALiQ gets you the best of both worlds: coast-to-coast reach across the 125MM consumers that are part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, plus highly localized targeting. You can get started with a display campaign that includes retargeting today.
Create a Social Media Campaign to Spread Good Cheer (AKA Brand Awareness)
Tis the season…to be social! Social connections go far beyond dinner parties this time of year. Make social a priority with organic posts that build community and increase awareness for your business plus a paid campaign to drive conversions.
The duality of using organic social with paid social ads allows you to grow a community and then focus on converting those newfound fans.
First, grow your audience with paid social ads that use high-level messaging to target potential customers and clients. Here are some ideas of content that you can share:
- Educational videos that explain your business differentiators.
- Posts highlighting sales, end of year deals, and anything else you’re offering.
- “Unboxing” content that allows people to see your products/business up close.
- Reviews praising your services, employees, and business.
- Community content that offers a behind-the-scenes look at your internal employee brand.
Next, continue to engage with your audience with organic posts. Use what you know about your audience to create content that will catch their attention, educate them about your offerings, and motivate them to click. Also, make sure you’re responding to any comments or engagements you’re getting on your page or on your ads to help build your community.
Sixty percent of consumers start holiday shopping a month or more in advance.
Whether it’s holiday marketing, peak season, or ongoing awareness and lead generation, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn how.
