Five Holiday Marketing Tips To Make The Buying Season Jolly

The weather outside is frightful (well, it is a bit chilly here in Orange County) and the fire is so delightful (assuming you paid your gas bill), which can only mean one thing – it's time to ho ho hone your digital strategy for the 2015 holiday season.

Now if you're like most good little marketers, you’ve already prepared a holiday marketing campaign as part of your yearly marketing strategy. But if you've been distracted by too many reindeer games instead, it's not too late to salvage the season!

Here are 5 quick tips to get you back on track for the holiday rush…

1) Put Your Brand In Their Hands

Last year nearly 1 in 4 holiday shoppers used a smartphone to purchase a holiday gift! This season will be no exception, so make sure your website is optimized for mobile devices and that your pages load quickly. And don't worry too much about being late to the party – mobile shopping searches actually peak on Christmas Eve!

Takeaway: If your site works in a pinch, you'll avoid the grinch.

2) Tis The Season To Socialize

Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest all experience seasonal boosts and consumers regularly use these and other social networks to get into the holiday spirit. This holiday season use social media with lifestyle-oriented images (no stock photos!) and segmented (targeted) messaging to grab your customers' attention and encourage them to act.

Takeaway: If you want to catch their eyes, start to socialize.

3) Hark The Herald Email

Santa knows the importance of a good list and so should you! Hit your customers up with great holiday offers via a targeted email campaign, but don't overdo it. No one likes to get bombarded with too many emails – no matter how good the promotion.

Takeaway: If you need to move some stock, try their inbox.

4) Go Native Now

Native advertising is a great way to capture quality traffic from popular websites. These types of ad campaigns mimic the format of the platform on which they appear, making native ads far more trustworthy than their traditional counterparts.

Takeaway: If you really want to win, make your ads blend in.

5) Plan To Pay Up

During the holiday season online conversion rates soar higher than a pack of reindeer, which is why you should plan to bid up and aggressively on your PPC campaigns. Also consider adding seasonal keywords like “gift ideas” and “sale” to your ad copy – and don't forget to include any holiday deals.

Takeaway: If you want to convert online, plan to up your dime.