The holiday season is fast approaching, and if you haven’t started planning your holiday marketing strategy, now is the time to act. Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are creeping up earlier each year to compete with Amazon Prime Day, leaving little room for delay. Traditional digital marketing strategies might not be enough this season as online shopping behavior continues to shift, but don’t fret; here are a few ideas brands can use to engage holiday shoppers and boost their e-commerce performance.
Shifts in Paid Search
Paid search has long been a cornerstone of holiday advertising, but alas, its dominance is fading. Relying solely on Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising in 2024 will leave businesses falling short of expectations and failing to maximize potential.
Immediate Challenges
Although Google controls 90% of the search engine market, changes in how people search are impacting results:
- Zero-click searches: More than half of searches in the U.S. don’t result in website visits. Consumers often find what they need through Google snippets without clicking on a site or use ChatGPT to do the work for them.
- Social media shopping: Platforms like TikTok and Meta (formerly Facebook) have integrated shopping features, allowing users to make purchases without leaving the app.
- Political ad surge: As the election approaches, political advertising is saturating digital platforms, driving up cost-per-click (CPC) rates by 10-15% and reducing ad visibility for brands.
Long-Term Impact
Looking ahead, artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots are likely to further disrupt traditional search. Gartner predicts that AI could reduce search traffic by 25% by 2026 as these tools provide answers directly, eliminating the need for website visits.
Marketers can no longer expect the same returns from paid search alone. Marketing diversification is paramount to increase sales during the holidays.
It’s not all doom and gloom; as they say, every problem is an opportunity in disguise. Here are a few ways your brand can overcome obstacles.
New Tactics for Engagement
Exploring new ways to engage consumers is a hurdle many brands need help with because it involves telling their story. Find a narrative worth repeating or a holiday trend to jump on and test them across channels to find a footing:
Expanded Channels
Diversifying your marketing efforts by leveraging platforms where customers already spend their time can be highly effective:
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Social commerce: TikTok generated over $11 billion in sales from 55 million shoppers in 2023, while Meta offers a seamless shopping experience. To succeed, businesses must invest in high-quality content creation, influencer marketing, and targeted ads.
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Connected TV ads: Platforms like MNTN allow for direct-response advertising on connected TVs, helping brands reach mid-to-upper-funnel audiences.
Go Full Funnel
As you engage customers through new channels, ensure your marketing funnel is optimized. Consider conversion rate optimization (CRO) tools and abandoned cart recovery solutions like Live Recover to maximize sales.
Insights for Analytics
Understanding the performance of your new marketing channels requires accurate data. With Google phasing out Universal Analytics in favor of GA4, winning brands rely on alternatives like Triple Whale, which provide detailed insights into first-party data. This is critical to optimizing marketing spend by revenue-driven channels.
Retain and Maintain
As customer acquisition costs rise, keeping in touch with old friends becomes even more important:
Maximize Email & SMS Marketing
Email marketing remains the most powerful retention tool, while SMS marketing offers direct mobile engagement. Segment personas based on behavior, such as regular shoppers or holiday buyers, to deliver personalized messaging in your holiday marketing campaigns.
Make Them Loyal
Boost customer loyalty with programs offering exclusive perks. VIP and paid memberships can deepen brand engagement and provide valuable data for future marketing efforts.
Harness Customer Insights
Post-purchase surveys are the easiest way to refine marketing strategies. Platforms like TikTok offer built-in survey tools, while services like MailChimp and HubSpot provide cross-channel data collection to help brands dive deeper into customer behavior.
Preparing for Holiday Success
The holiday season brings new challenges each year. With changing user behavior, AI advancements, and increasing competition, relying solely on search engine ads is risky. By embracing new channels, strengthening customer connections, and using advanced analytics, businesses can drive growth and stay competitive this holiday season.
