It’s the holidays which means there’s plenty more heaped on your plate with family commitments, friends who are back in town, or friends that you’re heading out of town to visit. It’s the time of year to be with the people you love, which is awesome.
But don’t use the holidays as an excuse to take a break from digital marketing. In fact, what you really should be doing is amping up your digital marketing efforts this holiday season.
Why is it important to increase digital marketing during the holidays?
If you’re a retail shop, you already know the answer. People spend more during the holidays. If you’re advertising is out there in front of them, they’re going to be more likely to buy from you.
But what if you’re in the service industry? It’s tempting to dial things down but you need to remember that in the internet age, digital marketing is about the long game. The long, long game. What I mean by that is that you can’t just create a digital campaign, toss it in front of potential customers and expect the sales to start rolling in.
When it comes to digital marketing it’s not the first impression that makes the sale or the third, but one further down the line. You can help your efforts by making your business front and center throughout the holidays. If you blog, creating some core pieces that are well thought out, well written and well researched can go a long way to helping your marketing efforts down the road.
What can I do to improve my digital marketing this holiday season?
First and foremost, get in touch with your clients. Let them know that you’re thankful for their business and that you value them. The holidays are a perfect time and excuse to say, “thank you” with no strings attached.
If you’re not making sales, work on improving your online presence.
Does your website need a makeover? Are there broken links or is there old contact information that can be fixed? Can you do something to improve your social media accounts? Can your old blog posts use a rewrite? There’s plenty you can do now to improve your digital marketing down the road.
Follow up.
If you have a retail site, remind customers of items they may have abandoned in their shopping carts. If you sell consumable goods, remind a customer that it may be time to replenish their stock. During the holidays, a follow up may be all it takes to make the sale.
Don’t forget your social media.
The really cool thing about the holidays is that there’s plenty of great, visual items that are perfect for posting on social media. A tree lighting. A holiday display. Colorful decorations. There’s so much you can do to improve your presence on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
For a lot of businesses, the holidays are a time to dial things down and take a break. I am all for that break, but a Facebook or Instagram post only takes a few minutes. As you’re taking a walking tour of holiday lights or hitting up your local coffee shop to meet with your friends, think about making a post. It’s a super simple way to keep up those digital marketing efforts while you’re on the go.
Happy holidays!
Written by Erika Towne