Whether the weather gets colder or not, the holiday seasons are on their way. With the challenges that COVID-19 has brought upon us, how in the world do you get the most out of your holiday marketing?
Marketing is always a fickle part of business and often requires a lot of adapting on the fly. With social distancing orders and fear for health and wellness this holiday season, you’ll need some good tricks up your sleeve to stay ahead.
Let’s explore how holiday marketing during COVID could look like.
Preparing for Holiday Marketing During COVID
During this holiday season, customers want to find relief and care against the threat of COVID. This means easier shopping, more personal but contact-less service, and quality discounts. How do you put these together?
1. Setup Your Website, Front and Center
Online shopping has been on a meteoric rise for years now. With in-person contact being dangerous, online shopping will be the biggest avenue for most shoppers. That means you have to prepare for it.
Making your website the center of your business is a fantastic idea. Keep your stock updated and organized and make sure your website is easy to navigate. The biggest boon to a website centered business is placing your best deals and advertisements right on the home page.
2. Rewarding Early and Often Customers
The traditional Black Friday sales push a lot of holiday shopping earlier and earlier into November. While not all shoppers are eager to dive in early, be ready for those that are with good sales and quality service.
Scheduling your discounts around these potential early birds is a great way to secure some early holiday profits. This can help boost confidence for some later holiday deals.
Many of these early buying customers are also loyal and consistent shoppers. To help reward your customer base, consider discounts aimed at frequent shoppers. This builds loyalty as customers enjoy rewards for getting their holiday shopping done at their favorite store.
3. Online Customer Chat
COVID-19 will not stop the need for customers to ask questions and concerns. It isn’t enough to stick a few basic questions on your website and call it done. Customers appreciate the personal touch!
Set up an online customer chat service so your customers can bring their specific questions to you without the hassle of coming down into the store. If you do not have the workforce to man a 24/7 chat service, organize a Q&A email, and make sure to check it often.
4. Capitalize on Local Businesses and Services
While online shopping is a fantastic way to help people stuck at home get the items they need, a brick and mortar store is still a focus of the community. The best part about being a focus of the community is the many services and connections a community can bring.
Center your holiday deals and marketing around the local community. Coordinating deals between your non-competing neighbors will make your local customers feel better about their shopping. COVID-19 pushes communities to stick together, and sharing the holiday spirit with your neighbors will help to entice people into your business.
The Best Marketing for Your Business
Holiday marketing during COVID will be a slow and uncertain process. Many people are eager to return to normal but we’re not out of the woods yet. Giving them that feeling of normalcy and convenience will be a major boon to the holidays.
Marketing takes skill and coordination and few can do it alone. We here at Marketing Magnitude are here to help out! For your marketing needs, contact us today!
