“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” – Charles Dickens
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, advertisers are positioning…themselves for a successful holiday season.
Great marketing campaigns don’t just happen. They take time, preparation, and a whole lot of TLC before they can be pushed out into the world. The busiest time in an advertiser’s life is arguably the end of the year holiday season. Between Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Hanukkah, Christmas, and more, it feels as if from October on, there is simply no break in the calendar. That’s why being prepared for the holiday rush is important.
Now I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t July a little early to begin prepping? And the answer is simple: no. It’s not too early, and we’re here to break down the exact reasons as to why you should put down the sparklers and pick up the tinsel this July, as well as give you a few tips on how to prepare your brand for its best holiday season yet.
- Go Ahead and Get Your Reindeer in a Row
It may seem silly to you to start planning for the holidays 3 months in advance, but in all reality, as the age old saying goes, “those that fail to plan, plan to fail,” and you don’t want that for your business. There is no flying by the seat of your pants when it comes to running a successful company, so that makes planning that much more important. Take the month of July to not only plan your marketing goals and strategies for the holiday season, but stock up on extra inventory and business supplies as well, because once the holidays hit, there is no slowing down. Make sure you’re prepared for every outcome.
- Place A Lot of Emphasis on Customer Retention
Getting a repeat customer is a lot easier than gaining a new customer, and although the goal of any business is to always grow and reach new people, there is something special about the customers and clients that feel a sense of loyalty to you, so show them you care. Take this July to really put a game plan together on how you are going to show them that you appreciate their business and are thankful that they have put their trust in you. People love to see the human side of a business. Give them the ability to see you at your most authentic.
- Be a Social Little Elf
It’s no secret that social media is the place to be. Even during the holidays when everyone is posting about what they wore for Halloween, what they got for Christmas, or how much they ate at Thanksgiving, there is always room on someone’s feed for more holiday themed scenery. One of the best, and easiest ways, to join in on the holiday fun is to create holiday branding of your logo or other promotional items and use them on your social media accounts. It’s a simple, fun way to get people to see that you’re engaging with the holidays; therefore, they are more apt to engage with you.
- Compete With Your Competitors
No matter who you are or what your business is, I can confidently say there is a business that you are competing with. That’s just the nature of the beast. When it comes to your competitors, whether you like them or not, you have to be prepared to compete with them at all times. They want the same clientele as you, so it comes down to who has the better way of getting them. Come the holiday season, you should have all of this ironed out. Be the business that knows exactly what they want and how they’re going to get it. Could your competitor be doing the same thing? Yes. But there is a high chance that they aren’t preparing for the rush of the holiday season, so it’s only going to make you that much more desirable in the eyes of the consumer.
- Remember That Americans Shop All the Time
Let me see a show of hands of all the people who’s grandma and mom begin their shopping for the upcoming holiday season on December 26. I can’t be the only one! According to Forbes, 40% of shoppers begin buying gifts early in the year, well before they start planning anything for the holiday itself. It’s a simple fact that Americans love to shop. We have “BIG BLOWOUT SALES” for every major holiday at every major retailer just to prove how much we love to shop. There is no time limit on when people can and can’t buy gifts, and because of that it’s important for you and your brand to start the process of figuring out your holiday advertising goals in July, because odds are, your ideal consumer is already thinking about what they’re going to buy for someone in their life. They might as well buy it from you.
It may be July, but I can already hear Santa and his elves gearing up for another busy holiday season ahead. If Santa and the elves can do it, then so can you. Make sure that your business stays prepared for whatever the holiday season could throw at them. By starting to prepare now, you put yourself in a better position for when the time arrives. Now we must leave it there. We’ve got some ho-ho-holidays to prepare for.