The holiday season is sure to bring in a few more sales than usual; no business owner would deny that. But it’s getting harder to deny that consumer spending habits have changed in the past few years, and the lure of holiday shopping just isn’t so enticing anymore. Consumers are getting their Christmas shopping done earlier and they’re able to compare brands (and prices) instantly while shopping online.
If you’re like most business owners, you’ve probably decided to stop focusing so much on offering the best holiday sales deals — but you might be wondering now, what can we do to bring customers into the store? If lower prices won’t work, then what will? Here are just a few ways that you can give your content marketing approach a boost during the holiday season:
Email Marketing: The Targeted Approach
Some business owners will say that email marketing isn’t so useful anymore for search engine optimization, but that’s only because they aren’t thinking about the details. Email marketing really is a science, and when done correctly, it’ll produce results. Make sure to focus on creating a catchy subject line, to clearly explain what your discount is, and to reel in customers with smaller savings and coupon codes at the bottom.
Social Media Marketing: The Influential Approach
A growing number of people are turning to social media sites to find information about products, believe it or not. In fact, 61% of all internet users have used the web to research products, either before making a purchase in-store or making a purchase online. A short YouTube video is a great way to highlight a special item or service you want to sell, since internet users are more likely to pay attention to content if it’s in a visual format rather than if it’s written out.
Website Design Optimization: The Mobile Approach
It’s never a bad time to work on website optimization, but if you’re expecting an influx of online shoppers, it’s definitely important to make sure your web design is up to snuff. Make sure that important information is listed concisely and clearly; internet users actually only read about 28% of any given page (and they scan the rest), and it only takes about 10 seconds after landing on your website for visitors to form an opinion about your entire business. If you’re pleased with your current web design, consider adding a live chat service to assist shoppers or look into optimizing your page for mobile devices.
There are plenty of ways to make your content marketing strategies better than ever this holiday season, and the ideas listed above are only the beginning! What tips do you have for better content marketing during the holidays?
