If you’ve stepped into a retail store recently, then you know that the holiday season is upon us and counting down, so let’s work together to get you prepared! I’ve seen the business side of the holidays from every angle, from a retail worker picking up extra hours, to the marketing side creating sellable images, and as a consumer. Throughout it all, I’ve loved crushing my goals no matter where I was, and picked up some insights and data to share with others. Hopefully, this’ll help calm you down and take some stress out of the most wonderful time of the year.
The Holiday Season
‘Tis the time to freak out, right? In this whirlwind part of the year, this is felt on both sides, from consumer to retailer. Consumers are worried about if they’ll be able to get everything on their list, where they can get the best deals, how to save money on shipping, and how long they actually have to finish their shopping. Meanwhile, retailers are worried about making the most out of the season, and wondering how they can start forming connections with new and old customers.
Retailers – What Does This Mean For You?
Answer their questions! It isn’t enough to just put together the sale, you need to market it, share it on your socials, your website, and your newsletters. Keep in mind that this doesn’t just mean posting once and considering the job done. Your customers are following many brands other than yours, all of whom are trying to get their deals to the same people you are. Just one social media post is bound to get lost among the hundreds of others they see on a daily basis. You need to post on a consistent basis and across multiple platforms if you really want to make a lasting impact.
When it comes to what should be in these posts and updates; anything and everything about your sales. How big are the discounts, what items are included, and most importantly, when they are. With every other business doing the same, give the customers a helping hand by letting them know when they can save money shopping at your business. I set up reminders in my phone for deals like Amazon Prime Day, but if you can be that reminder for your audience, then that’s even better!
And don’t just take it from us! Consider this piece of data from Think With Google: “To capture late-season demand, get relevant information – such as discounts – in front of shoppers. Purchase confidence is 3.2x higher among those who feel they found relevant information versus those who didn’t. And confident consumers are 6x more likely to say they would ‘definitely buy again’.”
What Types of Deals do You Offer?
Letting them know when they can take part in your deals is the first step, but don’t forget to tell them exactly what kind of deals you’re offering. Are you offering free shipping after a certain amount? Can they bundle and save on certain items? Is older stock being sold at a discount? Do these deals apply both in-store and online?
That last distinction is especially important when considering a trend reported by Think With Google: “Seamless omnichannel experiences are key. In August, 65% of U.S. consumers planning to shop for the holidays said that they plan to split their time between in-store and online.”
Make sure to let your audience know how exactly they can take advantage of your deals and where they can go to get them!
Shipping Deadlines
Here’s a piece of info that nobody wants to miss out on. Remember during the height of Covid when online shopping became people’s only source of buying their gifts, and not everything could get shipped out on time? That’s a fiasco that both consumers and retailers want to avoid a repeat of. Tell your customers the deadline for shipping so they know how long they have to buy everything they need and make sure that it gets there before the day the need it.
Just listen to these two pieces of data from Think With Google: “There are fewer days for shopping and shipping this December. Cyber Week is five days later than last year, making omnichannel strategies even more critical. November social media will all be posts surrounding this topic…Shoppers leave most of their purchases until December. Last year, the average U.S. Holiday shopper had over half their shopping left to do after Cyber Week.”
These data points tell us two things, one of which is that consumers are still leaving a lot of their shopping for December, and might not realize how close they’re getting to not receiving their purchases on time. Be their friend and let them know all the important dates concerning you’re shipping, it’ll be a huge favor they won’t soon forget!
The second part we can learn from this is that you don’t need to stress out with putting out your marketing months in advance. Sure, big retailers are already selling Christmas decorations, but that’s not a trend you need to follow. If people are still leaving their holiday shopping until December, then that’s still a perfect time for you to be marketing all your deals and sales, since it’ll still be at the top of their minds. We know how this can all feel intense for a small business, but in this case, put the numbers before emotions. “Keep calm and carry on.”
If you need help getting ready for the holiday season, sign up for a consultation with us and we’ll go through where you are now and what your next steps should be! Book a free 15 minute call with us here!
