The festive selling period is now well and truly underway and Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner. But don’t panic – even if you’ve left your marketing planning out in the cold, there’s still time to make the most of your Christmas sales!
Be present in the right places
Consumer interaction with brands and products are typically quite complex. We live in a fast moving, communication-led world with information and conversations possible in a variety of ways across multiple platforms.
Marketing is no different. Consumers can (and do) engage with brands and businesses both on and offline. While you certainly don’t want to spread yourself too thin, you need to be present in the same places as your potential consumers. So do your research: your consumers may love Instagram but loathe Twitter, they may relish a 48 sheet but detest a mail drop.
Provide consumers with enough touch points to pique their interest, engage with your content and decide to purchase. A consistent message across a variety of appropriate platforms will get you in front of your audience.
Christmas sales made easy
Be clear from the outset what you’re offering and the benefits to the consumer. If you sell online, you need to make sure your checkout process is flawless and be sure the T&Cs are clear (particularly for carriage). Dropping an £80 delivery charge bomb at the final checkout stage, won’t just lose you the sale, it’ll also result in a frustrated, disgruntled consumer.
On the flip side, if you offer click & collect, live availability of stock, or next day delivery, shout about it. Help the disorganised shopper out and they in turn will support you. With so much online competition you simply can’t afford to get your eCommerce strategy and website design wrong at this time of year.
Think beyond Black Friday
Yes, Black Friday is huge for many retailers, but it’s also a particularly ‘noisy’, crowded sales period. If the discounts you offer simply won’t cut the mustard, then stand back while others go mad. It’s always better to know your product or service benefits, to communicate them well and engage with your consumers rather than try (and fail) to compete on price. Be unique, be you.
Promotional fatigue is expected to decline during Black Friday sales, as savvy consumers seek cheaper prices for planned purchases. It may, therefore, be wise to steer clear.
Talk with purpose
There’s plenty of marketing noise at this time of year and it can feel like an upward battle trying to be heard but still communicating with purpose. Whether you’re planning to blog, post on social media, email or place an advert ask yourself; “Is this information useful, inspirational and helpful?”.
