Make Your Holiday Marketing Stand Out

The holiday season is fast approaching. Customers are beginning to think about holiday preparations and gifts, and companies are starting to ramp up their marketing efforts to attract shoppers. Throughout November and December, the competition for attention will be fierce. To keep your brand top-of-mind throughout the busy holiday season and bring new and existing customers through your doors, take steps to make your marketing efforts stand out from the crowd. Use these seven tips to give your holiday marketing a competitive edge.

1. Use marketing tactics that grab attention

Customers are often overwhelmed with emails, mailers, catalogs, social posts, and other communications from brands during the holiday season—and their attention starts to dwindle. In order to bring your company front and center, your marketing tactics should be designed to immediately catch and hold the customer’s attention. One way to do this is to reach out to customers across multiple mediums, both in digital and print. Increasing the number of touchpoints your customer has with your brand increases the chance they’ll remember and pay attention to you. There are also many simple enhancements you can make to your marketing campaigns that will have a more memorable impression. For example, consider sharing GIFs, animations, or videos on social media instead of static images—the activity and motion will help to catch the viewer’s eye. On printed pieces, add embellishments like metallic foil, embossing, or UV coatings to provide something unique and special.

2. Tell your audience what sets your brand apart

Your marketing pieces shouldn’t be the only things that stand out from the competition—your brand itself should, too. Consider what makes your company different from competitors and let your audience know. Customers are drawn to the unique aspects of a brand—what makes them more personable or aligns with their own values. Perhaps all of your products are made locally, or you donate a portion of your sales to a nonprofit organization. Every brand has its own unique elements. Broadcast those to your audiences to let them know what you’re about!

3. Take a customer-first approach

It’s tempting to explain all the cool features of your products or services to customers but think about things from their perspective. You want customers to see value in your offerings—to know that your products can make their lives easier, happier, or better. Shape your marketing messages around what your products can do for your customers and the benefits of buying them. Tap into your audience’s emotions to convey the feelings and experiences they’ll have once they own your product or use your service.

4. Personalize your campaigns

Customers like to know that brands understand them. There’s no better way to prove that you do than by creating targeted campaigns designed around their wants and needs. Start by clearly defining your target audience. Understand who your buyers are and what they care about, particularly around this time of year. Then segment your audience groups—such as new leads versus returning customers. Craft separate messages for each group in your content and advertising campaigns. Try to identify pain points or challenges for those audience segments and offer solutions to make their lives easier. During the holidays, one of the biggest pain points is stress from gift shopping. Use demographics and other customer data to make personalized gift recommendations or highlight seasonal offers that are relevant to them.

5. Appeal to emotions

The holidays are a particularly emotional time of year. Your customers are bound to feel many strong emotions such as gratitude, hope, nostalgia, delight, reflection, celebration, and togetherness. Using these emotions can add a special element to your campaigns and directly align with how customers feel to create a more positive impression. Consider your audience and choose those emotions or holiday sentiments that will most likely resonate with them. For example, parents might respond well to messages of togetherness and celebration, while younger shoppers might be more impressed with sentiments of wonder and excitement. Be sure to tie these emotions into the messages, imagery, and overall look and feel of your campaigns.

6. Keep up with your content strategy

Throughout the holiday season, too many companies take a sales-heavy approach and overwhelm customers with endless discounts and promotions. Sales fatigue can weigh on customers and cause them to tune these messages out. By sharing informative, inspirational, and seasonal content, you will stand out from the noise. Content proves your value to customers and engages them instead of merely selling to them. Make deeper connections with your audience by sharing content that is useful and relevant, helps them solve a need or reduce holiday stress, and positions you as a thought leader in your industry. The holidays are the perfect time to share special themed content. There are plenty of options to choose from, including holidays gift guides, recipes, how-to videos for DIY gifts, quizzes, and much more.

7. Share in the spirit of the season

The holidays aren’t just about selling—they’re a time to show gratitude and give back to those who help your business thrive. Be sure to spread some holiday cheer to your customers, staff, and community to forge even deeper connections. Your brand can make an impact by doing good in the community. Have your entire team volunteer with a local nonprofit, or team up with a charity to raise money or donations. The spirit of the season should also extend to your customers. Show them gratitude for supporting your business by sending thank-you notes or hosting a “thank-you” event and inviting local community members. If you have a few key clients or customers, send thoughtful gifts to remind them of how important they are to you. A small gesture can go a long way!

Think strategically for seasonal marketing

Marketing during the holiday season requires a little extra effort to ensure your brand’s voice is heard. Pay close attention to your audience, your messages, and what helps your company stand out. Then craft creative marketing campaigns that bolster your brand’s holiday marketing efforts.