How can you plan an e-commerce campaign that will make you stand out and attract both new and veteran shoppers to your brand? 

Review last year’s campaign and check out the competition 

Take a good look at last year’s marketing activities and analyze which were the most successful techniques. Did your email campaign bring in new interest? Which social media platform was most successful? Were buyers responsive to special offers and coupons?

A good way to get innovative ideas is to check out your competitors. What did they offer last year? Did they come up with special strategies to arouse increased interest in their brand? 

Time your campaign carefully

First you must determine the basic concept of your campaign. Think about your message and what you are trying to achieve. Then go into the timing, such as the dates when certain products will be promoted, as well as which social media platform you will be using and when (including Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube videos, Facebook, etc). Consider whether you want to add influencers and/or giveaways and contests to the mix. Determine when it is best to add seasonal Google Ad campaigns.

Start posting teasers as early as September and plan your posts carefully so that you build up anticipation and lead gradually up to your special surprises as the holidays grow nearer. 

Add one-time offers and surprise elements

When holding a contest, offer super prizes like a candlelit dinner for two, a romantic couple’s spa day, or bungee jumping for those who love competitive sports, depending on the age and entertainment preferences of your target audience. Create a “mystery box” that includes a random selection of your most popular products worth more than the price you are charging. 

Spoil your loyalty club members by offering a grand giveaway right before the holidays in addition to seasonal discounts and special, one-time offers. Create a sense of expectation and excitement to keep your audience riveted.

Use personalized content, creative videos and exciting pictures

Buyers are not interested in reading lengthy, general content. In order to engage customers you must deliver customized messages that prove your brand’s interest in them as well as providing a solution to their personal problem. 

Make a range of innovative videos, from “how tos” to new product showcasing, to customer testimonials. Create a series of clever Instagram stories and upload a variety of exciting pictures to pique curiosity and interest. Come up with a creative holiday theme such as nostalgia, new year resolutions, lifestyle changes, social responsibility or collections. Build on them to create a productive, long-term bond with prospective customers.

Think outside-of-the-box

Don’t be afraid to let your imagination go a bit wild when it comes to holiday campaigns. To snag weary consumers’ interest, you need to stand out. Try some exciting new stuff related to unique content, humor, surprises and prizes, and see how it all goes down. May the force be with you!

Image courtesy of kjpargeter

Among other elements, successful sales are about offering the right prices at the right place and the right time. You know what discounts you can offer, but where is the right place? Are those the only two shopping days you should be aiming for? What is likely to attract customers to your website rather than another?  

Let’s study consumers’ shopping behavior on Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year in order to take away important lessons for the 2019 shopping season (which is closer than you think).  

Where’s it happening?  

Many shoppers preferred to do their shopping online from the comfort of their home this year, where they could conduct price comparisons and make their orders without being jostled or waiting in line in a physical store. Nevertheless, the “buy online and pick up at store” option increased by an impressive 50% during the 2018 shopping season, meaning that the brick-and-mortar store still has an important role to play. Retailers should keep this in mind, and set out attractive sales displays near pick-up areas.  

Which devices are they using?  

Smartphones were far and away the most popular shopping devices with an increase of 79% over last year. According to Digital Commerce 360, purchasing via mobile phones on Black Friday constituted 33.5% of all online shopping. So responsive web designs and well functioning apps are a must.  

Additionally, you must be able to offer seamless payment options and fast checkout. For example, Shopify recently released a Dynamic Checkout feature which incorporates a Buy Now button on product pages so that the customer can skip the shopping cart and go directly to checkout. Be that as it may, there are still many customers who like to use their desktop for browsing and comparisons, so keep your website attractive and user-friendly, too.    

When are they shopping?  

While Black Friday and Cyber Monday are undoubtedly huge sales days, many stores have transformed these days into a “Black Weekend.” November 11 (known as Singles Day in China) is a huge global sales day. Alibaba reported that it delivered $30.8b in GMV in 24 hours, with 1 billion packages shipped. What started out as a couple of huge sales days seems to be stretching out to a sales month in anticipation of Christmas. While not all retailers can offer huge discounts over a whole month, they can reach out to customers with coupons, special events and gift cards to generate interest.  

How can you attract customers?  

Direct traffic drove sales the most in November 2018. It accounted for 27.2% of the sales while paid search came second at 24%, and natural search covered 20.8%. Reach out to your customers directly through customized emails, web push notifications and text messages. Make sure to use SEO optimization because it is key to attracting customers.  

Check if you are using the right channels to contact your customers. The increased use of smartphones for shopping goes hand in hand with the use of social media. Analyze your target audiences and determine which social media channels appeal to particular customers. Interact with them personally where you know you can find them, and present special gifts or offers according to predicted or previous shopping habits.   

Go digital, stay personal  

We don’t need to gaze into a crystal ball to predict that things will get even more digital a year from now. While going digital is a given, you will need to carefully plan your marketing and sales techniques in 2019 to capture your customers at the right place and the right time, and with precisely the right customized message.  

Photo courtesy of Nicole De Khors