7 Data-Backed Holiday Marketing Tips for a Merry (& Successful!) 2023

We’re already into the holiday season, so it’s time to get real. Planning and executing your holiday marketing can suck. You want to develop the best strategy to bring in new customers and finish out the year strong, but where to start? What will work best? And what will resonate with holiday shoppers–especially last-minute ones?

To help you make the most of your holiday marketing, we surveyed over 2,000 adults across the US to gather the data on:

• How consumers plan to shop and spend this holiday season
• Where consumers will research holiday purchases
• What marketing strategies work best to attract customers

And while this year has continued to be a challenge for small businesses, one piece of data we found hopeful is that nearly half of shoppers plan to spend over their set budgets this season!

7 data-backed holiday marketing tips and ideas for 2023

Based on our data insights, there are seven key holiday marketing tips your business should rely on to meet customers where they’re at this holiday season.

1. Offer holiday incentives shoppers care about

When it comes to developing holiday promotions to build your marketing around, it’s important to feature what customers care most about. Our study found that 87% of respondents said the economy will impact their holiday shopping. And 53% said lower product pricing is the top incentive customers look for when determining a new store to try, so by developing some attractive deals that put you at prices below your top competitors, you can win over more customers.

Here are some ideas for holiday promotions to try:

• Run a “12 days of the holidays” sale.
• Host a free gift wrap event.
• Provide gift discounts.
• Partner with other businesses for complementary holiday specials.
• Offer pre-book specials for service-based businesses.

Customers also don’t love to pay for shipping, so by offering free shipping for online purchases, you give your business another opportunity to stand out and get new customers.

🎁 Free guide >> The Happy Holiday Marketing Guide for 2023: Promotions, Campaigns & Social Posts to Unwrap

2. Be active on social media

Social media should be an integral part of your holiday marketing strategy as it will be an integral part of peoples’ holiday shopping experiences. Our study found that 73% of those surveyed said they use social media to find information—with Facebook leading the pack.

Develop a strong organic social media marketing strategy for your business that includes:

• Posting your deals and specials.
• Highlighting any events you’re hosting or participating in.
• Engaging your customers so they keep checking your social sites throughout the season.

Check out these resources to get your social media holiday-ready:

• The Only Holiday Facebook Ideas You’ll Need This Season (with Examples!)
• Holiday Instagram Giveaway Ideas & Examples
• 140+ Holiday Hashtags + Instagram Post Ideas Galore
• December Social Media Holidays & Ideas to Delight Your Audience (with Examples & Templates!)

By keeping your audience engaged on social media and posting regularly, you can make your social sites a resource for customers throughout the holiday season.

3. Use Facebook ads to promote holiday deals and steals

Build on your social media marketing strategy by dedicating some resources to Facebook advertising. 89% of shoppers look to Facebook to find information about gifts—so make sure they’re seeing information about your business by targeting your audience with ads that promote your deals and specials.

Here are some ways to use Facebook advertising as part of your holiday marketing:

• Target your current fans and followers with a customer loyalty discount.
• Target lookalike audiences with new customer discounts.
• Target your community with ads about events, specials, or promotions.
• Use Facebook advertising to educate prospective customers about your business.

A little bit of Facebook advertising budget can go a long way for your holiday marketing success if used correctly! Get more Facebook advertising tips here.

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4. Don’t put videos and YouTube advertising on the naughty list

Video marketing can give your holiday marketing a big boost. 85% of those surveyed said they use YouTube to find information about holiday gifts, so create videos and run YouTube advertising to help them find your content easily.

If you want to go the tearjerker route, here’s a great example.

You can create holiday marketing videos that:

• Showcase your products or services.
• Highlight any bundles you’re offering.
• Feature current customers sharing their positive experiences with your business.

By adding video to your holiday marketing strategy, you can encourage more shoppers to buy from you this season.

PS: We put together holiday video ideas for you to try!

💡 Free guide: 30 Ways to Promote Your Business (With or Without Budget)

5. Focus on festive in-store shopping experiences

As shoppers plan to browse for gift ideas and buy in-store this season, you can entice new customers by creating festive and unique in-store shopping experiences.

Here are some ideas to create in-store experiences for your holiday shoppers:

• Deck the halls in your storefront to create an inviting and welcoming space.
• Create in-store displays to entice shoppers.
• Host a shopping event with light bites and hot cocoa to bring even more people into your location.

By focusing on how you serve customers in-store and creating a unique and welcoming atmosphere, you can help your business stand out this holiday season and boost revenue.

Also, make sure to update your local listings for the holidays so shoppers can find your location in the first place!

6. Create a holly-jolly holiday referral program

Word-of-mouth continues to be a winning strategy for small businesses. And, as 85% of those we surveyed say they will turn to friends and family for information before spending this holiday season, it can be a big win for your holiday marketing plan.

Create a holiday referral program so your best customers can spread the word and bring in their friends, families, and neighbors to shop from you this season.

Here are some steps to build your customer referral program:

• Choose your referral incentive.
• Streamline the process for customers to give referrals.
• Promote your referral program on social media and in emails.

By creating a holiday referral program, you can capitalize on word-of-mouth marketing for your business and get more customers.

7. Rely on an old classic: Email marketing

83% of shoppers will rely on emails from retailers to find information and deals this holiday season. So by developing a robust email marketing strategy, you can keep your business top of mind throughout the season through a channel they’re utilizing for their holiday shopping.

Here are some ideas for your holiday email marketing campaigns:

• Send emails about deals and specials.
• Promote your holiday referral program.
• Send emails thanking your loyal customers for their business—include a discount!
• Include some more educational or engaging content like holiday recipes, a holiday gift guide, or even how to wrap a present the right way.

Related: We’ve got you covered with 50+ holiday email subject lines, 100+ December email subject lines, and holiday email templates.

Email marketing can help you stay top of mind with customers throughout the holiday season and entice them to buy from or do business with you.

Give your business the gift of successful holiday marketing

This year has been filled with ups and downs, and navigating the changes and challenges has been especially difficult for local businesses. But our data suggests that there’s no reason you can’t finish out the year strong with a successful holiday season (and it’s not too late!). All you need is the right strategy to help you get in front of customers and win them over.

Here are those 7 holiday marketing tips and ideas for 2023:

1. Offer holiday incentives shoppers care about
2. Be active on social media
3. Use Facebook ads to promote deals and steals
4. Try video marketing and YouTube advertising
5. Focus on in-store shopping experiences
6. Create a holiday customer referral program
7. Rely on email marketing