Dec 06, 2024
by Humera

What is the reason for the significant increase in sales that online retailers experience during the Christmas holidays? If you operate an online store, you are aware that the Christmas season generates sales that surpass all-year sales. Seasonal treats and last-minute gifts compel many individuals to shop. People loosen their purses, causing the cash register to jingle with joy. Understanding the significance of the period is crucial to a successful sleigh ride. 

Given that we all concur that the holiday season is a significant time of year, what steps can we employ to boost our sales this season? Read this blog to explore the techniques that will catapult your online store to new levels of success by understanding the consumer mindset and expectations during festive seasons.

Benefits of launching a Christmas marketing campaign

Customers in the United States spend more than $1 trillion during the holiday season, contributing more than 30% of a retailer's yearly earnings. Your business just cannot afford to lose out on this huge market share. In addition to increasing revenue right away, well-executed Christmas marketing has the potential to greatly raise brand awareness. People are more likely to remember and return to a brand that made them feel positive throughout the holiday season. Using these marketing efforts to emotionally connect with your target demographic is one way to ensure long-term customer loyalty.

Finally, the 25th of December isn't the conclusion of effective Christmas marketing. It establishes a standard for the coming year and provides a boost for the months of January and beyond. If done right, a holiday campaign can reap advantages far into the new year, whether in the form of an offer that remains valid or just a memorable experience.

Maximize seasonal experiences by tapping into mindsets

Approaching seasonal occasions, shoppers fluidly move through numerous attitudes, including deliberate, deal-seeking, determined, and devoted. While all four behaviors are common, certain ones tend to stand out when consumers approach a major sale or cultural event. You may improve your results at every critical stage and fortify your customer connections by adjusting your brand strategy to fit their mindsets.

  1. Deliberate

Those who shop with a focused attitude like to make a list before they go. Prior to seasonal events, such as the holiday sales season, they seek ideas, conduct research, and even make purchases. Surprisingly, 59% of people who shop for Christmas gifts already have a list before December even starts. Motivate thoughtful consumers while they peruse gift options using YouTube Video View and Video Reach campaigns, and then turn them into buyers with an easy-to-understand call to action.

Buying presents isn't the only occasion for this behavior. In Southeast Asia, 88% of preplanned purchases occur during double-day sales events. The same holds true for India, where 83% of purchases during cultural and festival occasions are preplanned. People tend to act in this way on sales days because they want to be prepared to take advantage of the best deal when it comes their way. The term "Black Friday" began to rise in search volume around the world last year in October. Plus, in early October 2023, the majority of customers (58%) admitted that they would plan ahead for big sales days by considering what they intended to buy.5 Regardless of when the real conversions may occur, it is still wise to promote your services and products early on.

  1. Deal-seeking

There is no "always-on" behavior associated with deal-seeking that is specific to any one sales day. In fact, as many as 75% of holiday consumers admit to actively seeking out sales and discounts all through the season. In their minds, these sales and discounts mark the start of the festivities. Take the US as an example: just before big holidays like Christmas, 69% of buyers there anticipate sales. Marketers may sustain performance throughout the season by extending purchasing intent beyond a single day with well-planned promotions that build anticipation before important dates. Include important details like offers, ratins, reviews, and fulfillment choices in your product listings to drive engagement with shoppers who are looking for deals.

  1. Determined

As a holiday or important event approaches, people feel pressure and become determined. Even careful shoppers may make last-minute purchases. The average customer finished 43% of their holiday shopping by December last year, leaving tremendous sales potential. Think ahead and save some marketing budgets for a late-season effort to reach fast-shopping shoppers. This is crucial in 2024 since Black Friday will be five days later than last year, leaving less time for holiday shopping. Time affects more than the U.S. market. Black Friday has grown in importance in the U.K., Germany, and Australia. Brazil and France, where importance has been stable, claim most people shop on Black Friday for the holidays. Many last-minute consumers use Google to find information and complete their purchases. Performance Max advertising may reach determined shoppers at the right time and across touch points. Dedicated shoppers are ordering gifts well past last shipment dates to ensure pre-holiday delivery. By utilizing Local Inventory Ads and Performance Max for store goals, you can effectively promote specific business locations and product promotions, all while targeting last-minute buyers. These ads show holiday store hours, nearby inventory, and fulfillment options, including online purchase, in-store pickup, same-day delivery, and more.

  1. Devoted

Customers who are really committed to shopping continue to do so even when the busiest shopping season winds down. They desire greater discounts and gifts, and many of them are simply indulging themselves. People like this are seasonal devotees who also have a passion for buying. A dedicated mindset is on display among shoppers who eagerly anticipate self-gifting and extended post-festive sales. By providing incentives that highlight brand loyalty, this is a vital chance to transform one-time buyers into champions for the brand over the long run. Loyalty programs, app promos, and unique post-sale discounts are perfect ways for firms to reward returning customers after Christmas. You can re-engage customers who loved your Christmas purchases with app marketing and other AI-powered tools by offering them incentives to download your app or sign up for rewards.

People have expectations during the Christmas season

We hope that the Christmas parties, sparkling lights, exquisitely wrapped gifts, carol singing, and frosted sugar cookies will bring us joy and happiness. It's "the season to be jolly!" as we all say. We expect that everyone will get along with another person. We assume that the Christmas joy that permeates the air will wipe away any prior dispute, differences, bitterness, or forgiveness. But more than anything else, it appears that the strain of the Christmas season frequently exacerbates relationship problems. Or maybe the holidays bring up a painful memory associated with a traumatic event we went through as children or adults. Our expectation is for the lighting and décor to be flawless. The cuisine should be even better than it was the year before. We're looking for the perfect atmosphere. We even hope for a beautiful "White Christmas" with snow falling on December 24. It makes sense that, even before the season starts, we set ourselves up for disappointment with all these wants, hopes, and expectations!

Few steps to derive customer emotions

When we consider the Christmas season, we adults have a lot of expectations. If these expectations don't materialize, we might experience some disappointment.

  • Content that is emotionally driven

During the holiday season, people tend to feel more emotional than usual, and the most successful Christmas commercials are able to capitalize on this feeling. Emotional content has a profound effect on audiences as a result of its ability to evoke feelings such as happiness, nostalgia, and even a trace of melancholy. As an illustration, advertisements for John Lewis are renowned for their capacity to elicit emotional responses from viewers, and this is precisely what makes them so memorable.

  • Appeal to visuals

The holiday of Christmas is a visual celebration, filled with a multitude of lights and joyful decorations. The most effective Christmas marketing campaigns utilize visual aspects that are instantly identifiable and connected with the holiday season. Some examples of these campaigns include the Christmas truck that Coca-Cola uses and the red cups that Starbucks uses. Consider how your company might develop a visual identity that encapsulates the essence of the season.

  • Permit free returns and shipping

You can advertise free shipping, handling, and returns even if you'd rather not launch a grand Christmas campaign. Customers can rest relaxed while placing an order because they won't have to worry about paying a few more dollars. Imagine if they buy all their gifts from your online store! This is a fantastic way to capitalize on a top Christmas marketing strategy while still keeping the spirit of giving joy alive.

  • Collaborate with influential people

Given the absolute dominance of influencers in the social media sphere, it should come as no surprise that partnerships rank high among the best Christmas marketing ideas. Indeed, a significant number of these partnerships are currently available on TikTok.

  • Maintaining a consistent tradition

Traditions are something that people enjoy, and Christmas is full of them. Coca-Cola and Starbucks are just two examples of companies that have established entire marketing campaigns around holiday traditions that customers will look forward to year after year. Your campaign has the potential to become a much-loved annual event if you maintain consistency in your branding and combine it with a tradition that your customers look forward to.

  • Seek feedback from customers

Improving your future campaigns relies heavily on customer input. Asking the customer how they felt about the purchase is a smart move. This demonstrates that you care about their opinion and gives you useful information that can improve your next Christmas marketing campaign.

  • Help out the people in your local area

Shoppers consider numerous factors when choosing a new retailer. Whether or not the company stands behind a cause is one of those factors. According to studies, 70% of consumers prefer to support companies whose values they perceive to be similar to their own. Incorporate charitable giving into your Christmas marketing campaign to capitalize on the season's spirit of generosity. People will feel better about treating themselves, and your cause will benefit from your enthusiasm. The knowledge that even a small portion of their purchase will benefit someone in need can motivate them to spend more.

Utilize Techfye's digital marketing potential

To survive and prosper in today's digital world, companies need to make use of online platforms. Techfye, a software development company, dedicates itself to providing comprehensive digital marketing solutions tailored to your unique needs, understanding the challenges of adapting to the rapidly evolving digital landscape. With expertise in SEO, website management, content marketing, graphic design, email marketing, social media marketing, Google Ads, and paid ad campaigns, we can help our clients grow their businesses and see tangible results from their digital marketing efforts.

Wrapping up

In addition to being a wonderful way to cap off the year, Christmas marketing initiatives allow you to engage with your audience on a deeper level and lay the groundwork for future success. To make the most of the holiday season, let's put on our jolly hats and sing our way through these Christmas marketing ideas. Keep in mind that red and white are the season's official colors, and include them in all of your marketing efforts. Have a wonderful holiday season!