The holidays are over, and that means it is time for the post-holiday slump. Defined by sugar crashes, fatigue, and time at home, it can also be defined by some serious dips in spending.
People may be spending less in January and February, but you still want to clear inventory and make profits. The good news is that you can glean extra sales after the holidays. You simply need to employ some savvy online marketing strategies. Here are a few we suggest.
Don't assume the holiday shopping season is over.
Christmas may be over, but that doesn't mean there aren't a few people out there still looking for gifts. Many people travel to see extended family after Christmas. They may attend New Year's parties and other late holiday gatherings. They will be making purchases to bring gifts, food, and refreshments to these gatherings.
If you act quickly, you can use your online marketing to glean some of the post-holiday sales. The best online marketing strategy for these customers is to continue promoting your holiday sales for a short time into the new year.
Engage in some serious retargeting.
Retargeting is an online marketing strategy that sends advertisements and special deals to people who have already visited your site. This strategy allows you to keep your brand at the front of consumers' minds and offer them tailored deals to entice them to buy from you.
Retargeting is an especially valuable tool during the post-holiday slump. Careful retargeting allows you to reach consumers who visited your site during the holidays and encourage them to come back and buy from you now.
The key to successful retargeting is to tailor your message to the recipient. For example, offer deals on items they viewed but did not purchase. Offer coupons to those who did make purchases. Show them products that go along with items they already bought (i.e. maybe they want slippers to go along with that robe they purchased last week). When they see deals that take their interests into consideration, they will be more likely to buy from you, even after the holidays are over.
Test new ads with your post-holiday online marketing.
The post-holiday slump may present challenges in getting people to buy from you, but it also presents some unique opportunities for enhancing your overall online marketing strategy.
This time of year is usually far less expensive when it comes to advertising. The same keywords in Google Ads, for example, are often dramatically lower in cost in January than in December.
The reason for these lower prices is the fact that fewer people are shopping. Companies cut back on their advertising. There is less of a demand for ads and keywords.
As a result, this is the perfect time of year to try out some new ads. See what a new keyword will do. Tweak your messaging. Target a new audience.
You can run these tests easily and inexpensively during the post-holiday slump. Then, you can use the information you gather to create powerful advertising campaigns to use for the rest of the year.
Create messaging about consumers shopping for themselves.
Your online marketing message is important all the time, but especially after the holidays. The way you present your deals will make or break your sales.
One message to emphasize in January and February is the concept of shopping for yourself. Consumers have just spent a frenzied month buying gifts for everyone in their lives. Encourage them to shop for themselves now.
This message is particularly relevant immediately after the holidays because many people receive cash and gift cards as presents. They just need a little bit of encouragement to spend that money with you.
You can also sweeten the deal by emphasizing products that make it easy for consumers to buy for themselves. For example, offer them discounts on self care items. Give them a free gift card when they spend a certain amount. And make sure they hear through your messaging that it is the season for a little bit of self-indulgence.
Offer rewards to holiday shoppers.
Hopefully, the holiday season yielded sales and profits for your business. Build on these sales during the post-holiday slump by reaching out to these customers. In particular, reach out to them with promotions, discounts, and deals that are just for them.
Since it is the season of sending thank you notes to those who gave you gifts during the holidays, you can frame these deals as a thank you to your loyal customers. With coupons in hand, these shoppers are more likely to do their winter shopping with you.
If you want to create a sense of urgency, try putting a time limit on your deals. For example, consumers must claim their discounted item within a week, by the end of the month, etc. That way, they have to shop now, and that means you make more sales during this quieter time of the year.
Creating an online marketing plan for the post-holiday slump can earn you more sales over the next couple of months. Extend your holiday sales a little longer. Engage in some serious retargeting. Test new ads. Encourage consumers to shop for themselves. Offer rewards to your holiday shoppers.
Above all, find a digital marketing agency like Distinct Web Design to help you out. With a slew of strategies at our fingertips, we can help you create and implement a post-holiday online marketing plan that yields the results you need.
