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Marketing Strategy December 15, 2024

Top 9 Holiday Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

Writen by Payani Media

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Top 9 Holiday Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

‘Tis the season to be jolly and to amp up your marketing during the biggest shopping time of the year. As the year’s end comes around, you need to find your customers so they can find you and put your products in their (literal or metaphorical) stockings. Are you ready? 

Many small business owners don’t fully take advantage of this crucial shopping period, but we’re here to help you out. Read on to learn about the top marketing mistakes businesses make during the happiest time of the year so you can avoid them. 

1. Insufficient Planning

One of the worst things a business owner can do when it comes to holiday marketing is failing to plan ahead. If you’ve waited until December 1st, you might be in trouble. This can lead to rushed and ineffective marketing campaigns and lackluster results.

Without a clear strategy, you may miss opportunities, waste resources, and struggle to measure success so you can set goals for the next year. Start planning at least two to three months in advance to define your target audience and goals, develop a content calendar, create a budget, and coordinate with team members and stakeholders.

2. Ignoring Mobile Optimization

With most consumers shopping on mobile devices, it’s absolutely essential to ensure your website, emails, and ads are optimized for mobile. A mobile-friendly experience can improve user engagement and conversion rates, enhance brand reputation and credibility, and increase search engine rankings. 

Test your website and marketing materials on various mobile devices to ensure a seamless user experience. Make sure you try it on tablets and phones from multiple brands to make sure it’s consistent. Don’t forget emails! It’s common for emails to show up poorly on mobile devices. 

3. Not Segmenting Your Audience

Tailoring your marketing efforts to specific audience segments can increase relevance and engagement. Your customers are all different, so treat them as individuals. This will make them more likely to engage with your sales. 

Segment your audience based on demographics, behavior, and preferences, and create targeted campaigns that speak to each segment’s unique needs and interests. This approach can help you maximize your marketing budget and improve overall campaign performance.

4. Overlooking Email Marketing

Email marketing continues to be a powerful tool during the holidays. Create engaging campaigns that offer exclusive promotions and discounts, showcase new products or services, and provide valuable content and seasonal advice. Make sure to keep emails festive and include multiple different holidays to reach every part of your audience. 

Again, you want to optimize your emails for mobile devices and make sure they’re visually appealing and easy to read. With a well-crafted email marketing strategy, you can drive sales, boost engagement, and build customer loyalty during the busy holiday season. 

5. Failing to Utilize Social Media

Social media is king these days. If you’re not making the most of it, you’re leaving money on the table. Use your social media platforms to create engaging content, promote offers, and interact with customers. Study content that’s currently going viral and hop on relevant trends so more people see what you have to offer. Consider partnering with social media influencers if you have the budget to do so. 

Use social media to share behind-the-scenes content, host giveaways and contests, and provide more personalized customer support. By maintaining an active and engaging social media presence, you can build brand awareness, drive website traffic, and ultimately increase sales.

6. Not Offering Personalization

Provide personalized experiences through product recommendations, exclusive offers, and tailored content. Use data and analytics to inform your personalization efforts and create a more engaging and relevant experience for your customers. Personalization can help you build stronger relationships with your customers, drive sales, and increase customer loyalty.

7. Forgetting the Value of Customer Service

The holiday season is not the time to let customer service lapse. Yes, things are busy and customers may be tense, but your customer service experts need to stay as holly jolly as possible. 

Excellent customer service builds trust and loyalty. Respond quickly to customer questions and concerns, feedback and reviews, and social media messages and comments. You should even respond to positive feedback. Provide multiple channels for customer support, including phone, email, and live chat. This allows you to build a positive brand reputation and increase customer loyalty.

8. Failing to Create a Sense of Urgency

Of all of the times to create a sense of urgency with your marketing, the holiday season is really the most logical. Christmas is coming on the 25th of December one way or another. The urgency is real, not manufactured. 

Use limited-time offers and countdown timers to create an increased sense of urgency and drive sales. This can include limited-time discounts and promotions, exclusive offers for loyalty program members, and countdown timers for flash sales or limited-availability products. You could also have a countdown for when products are able to be shipped by Christmas. By creating a sense of urgency, you can encourage customers to make a purchase and drive sales.

9. Overlooking Post-Holiday Opportunities

Continue marketing efforts after the holiday season to maintain momentum and drive sales. After all, you likely still have some products you want to get rid of before the start of 2025. 

Consider post-holiday sales and clearance events, extended promotions and discounts, and new product launches or announcements. While advertising will likely take a pause on Christmas Day (you deserve a break), that pause should be brief. By extending your marketing efforts beyond the holiday season, you can keep customers engaged, drive sales, and build momentum for the new year.

Avoid These Holiday Marketing Mistakes 

Don’t let these holiday marketing mistakes get in the way of your sales this season! This is the time to kick marketing into overdrive so you can get products to your customers before the new year and start 2025 off right. 

Could you use a helping hand with your marketing? At Payani Media, our team of professional marketing experts is here. From website audits to video marketing, we can help you reach new audiences. Contact us so we can start working together today.