The holiday season is drawing near; it is a memorable period that is cozy, comfortable, and warm. Every year, gifts, wrapping papers, and twinkling lights bring joy to millions of people. But along with all the festivities comes the need for many businesses to start planning their holiday campaigns.
Many shoppers will constantly look for clearance sales, and retailers will take advantage of that. That's why when framing campaigns, you must consider seasonal marketing trends that will improve customers' lives for the better. By planning, you will be aware of the strategies to help your customers keep in touch with the people or things they care about the most.
This article will uncover the top holiday marketing stats and trends you need to know to make a successful campaign this season.
The Importance of Holiday Marketing Stats and Trends
Typically, this time of year is the busiest for gift-giving. Businesses hoping to increase sales should be especially ecstatic. Aside from focusing on your brick-and-mortar fixtures and foldable shopping bags or optimizing the content of your e-commerce website, knowing your customers better is one way to capitalize on the holidays. That's why paying close attention to their patterns is essential.
Below, we listed some holiday marketing stats and trends to learn more about the psychology of the customers visiting your store.
Attract Early Shoppers With Early Campaigns
Holiday consumers in 2023 are anxious about low inventory, increased pricing, and delayed shipping because the supply chain problems and economic unpredictability that have plagued the last several years are still fresh. As a result, they'll start shopping sooner, and Q4 will be dominated by the holiday season. 21% of last year's holiday customers had finished shopping a few weeks before Halloween.
Holiday shopping begins earlier yearly. The earlier you start advertising, the more campaign learnings you generate, the more you reduce costs, and the longer your campaigns last, the more effective they become. There will also be less competing advertising, making it simple for your commercials to stand out to early shoppers.
Offer Discounts and Rewards
Consumers are concerned about inflation and a possible slowdown in the economy. More than half of consumers polled by Numerator anticipate that it will affect their holiday celebrations.
Two-thirds of consumers said they would only buy things on sale, and half said they would buy fewer things. It is also supported by Meta's research, where 79% of consumers consider discounts vital when purchasing.
Holidays are synonymous with discounts and rewards. Aside from focusing on boutique packaging ideas, offer discounts and rewards because 62% of consumers said they would stick with a brand that provides rewards to customers. It was even more apparent among internet users, with 68% responding that digital offers made them "feel valued as a customer." It is an important observation, considering that almost half (49%) of consumers base their brand selection on how much they feel valued as consumers.
Aside from brand loyalty, these online promotions encourage advocacy. According to the consumer sentiment poll, 59% of consumers promote a brand to others because of digital offers.
Improve Your Omnichannel Strategy
During the 2022 holiday shopping season, 80% of consumers did some research or window-shopped before making a purchase, while 20% impulse buy. This indication of deliberate shopping highlights how crucial it is to approach holiday marketing from an omnichannel perspective for the best possible levels of awareness, discovery, consideration, and conversion.
Retailers must meet consumers' expectations with user-friendly websites, prompt deliveries, clear messaging, and seamless advertising experiences as e-commerce demand grows. Don't overlook TikTok and Gen Z users because 43% of this generation's online product searches begin there. The platform has lower CPMs for video advertising than Instagram Reels, Twitter, and Snapchat, and nearly 7 out of 10 Gen Z users are likely to make a direct purchase.
Set Your KPIs and Budget
Key performance metrics for businesses may change at this time of year. For instance, a conversion in the form of an email sign-up in April can switch to a product purchase in December. This time of year, those conversions will cost more as well. For example, the CPA for a sale or acquisition on December 22 will probably be higher than it was on June 8.
Considering how much you're willing to spend per KPI during the holidays is vital because all media tends to be more expensive this season. Go over the budget from the previous year and identify any areas (if any) where things went awry to apply lessons learned to this year's spending. Spend more money during flash sales, promotions, and limited-time specials, and adapt the rest of your budget appropriately. Also, remember that popular material, such as digital video and audio streaming, has finite space.
Final Thoughts
Remember that flexibility is essential as the holiday season draws near. By getting started early, focusing on rewards and discounts, improving your omnichannel strategy, and setting your KPIs and budget, you'll position yourself for success. Let's hope for a successful sales season and enjoyable consumer interactions.
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