The holiday season is almost here. I saw holiday lights going up this week! That means, customers are beginning to think about holiday preparations and gifts, and companies are starting to ramp up their holiday marketing efforts to attract shoppers. Throughout November and December this year, the competition for attention will be fierce.
To make your brand stand out from the crowd throughout the busy holiday season you’ll want to plan the key steps to grab attention. Use these seven tips to give your holiday marketing a competitive edge.
1. Be unforgettable.
Especially during the holiday season, customers are overwhelmed with emails, mailers, catalogs, social posts, and other communications from brands all fighting for the same consumers. In order to keep your company front and center, your marketing tactics must be designed to immediately catch and hold the customer’s attention.
One way to ensure sure you do this is to reach out to customers across multiple mediums with the same messaging using both digital and print marketing. This increases the number of touchpoints your customer has with your brand and thus 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, instead of sharing static images on social media, consider sharing GIFs, animations, or videos—the activity and motion will help to catch the viewer’s eye. On printed pieces, add embellishments like specialty papers, metallic foiling, embossing, or coatings to texturize mailers and provide a tactile experience that is both unique and special.
2. Once upon a time...
Tell your customers a story about what makes your company different from competitors. Your marketing pieces shouldn’t be the only things that stand out from the competition—your brand story should, too.
Customers are drawn to the aspects of a brand that makes them more personable and aligns with their own values. Tell the story about how 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, so broadcast those to let customers why they should choose you!
3. What's in it mean for me?
You know why your product or service is amazing, but are those the same reasons your customers love your product? It is tempting to explain your brand from your perspective but think about things from your customer's point of view. You know that your products can make their lives easier, happier, or better but you have to tell them why that is important to them.
Shape your marketing messages around what your products can
do for your customers and how they will benefit from buying them. Sure your coffee mug might keep their coffee hotter longer, but what it means to them is that they don't have to run to the microwave every 15 minutes for a warm-up. Get it!?!
4. Say my name.
Customers like to know that brands understand them, and there’s no better way to prove that you do than by creating highly targeted campaigns designed around their wants and needs. Studies show that including a customer's name on marketing in color can increase ROI by over 130%!
Start by clearly defining your target audience. Understand who those 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—and craft separate messages for each group in both 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. I've got a feeling.
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 align customer's feelings to your brand, creating a more positive impression. Consider your audience and choose the emotions or holiday sentiments that are most likely to 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. Chill out!
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. Alternately, by sharing informative, inspirational, and seasonal content, your brand can stand out from the noise.
Providing relevant content proves your value to customers and engages them instead of selling to them. Make deeper connections with your audiences by sharing content that helps them solve a need or reduce holiday stress. That positions you as a thought leader in your industry.
7. It's the most wonderful time of the year.
The holidays aren’t just about selling—they’re a time to show gratitude and give back to those who help your business thrive. Make sure you 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 gratitude to them for supporting your business by sending thank-you notes from your team or hosting a “thank-you” event and inviting local community members. If you have a few key clients or customers, you could even send thoughtful gifts to remind them of how important they are to you. Even a small gesture can go a long way!
Think strategically for holiday marketing
Marketing during the holiday season requires a little extra effort to ensure your brand’s voice is heard. By paying close attention to your audience, your messages, and what helps your company stand out, you can craft creative marketing campaigns that bolster your brand’s holiday marketing efforts.
Located in the creative Crossroads Arts District, AlphaGraphics Kansas City is a certified Women-Owned business that specializes in helping Kansas City businesses solve marketing problems. The printing company’s production specialties include custom digital color and large format printing.
For further information about AlphaGraphics Kansas City and their capabilities, contact the AGKC team at 816-842-4200 or visit their website, AlphaGraphics KC.
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