Ultimate Guide to Holiday Marketing… in July.

Tis the season for campfires, pool days, and… amping up your brand’s holiday marketing strategy? That’s right folks, July is one of the best times of year to shift your customer appreciation and seasonal promotions into full force. While many businesses will wait until late fall, those who get ahead of the rush are more likely to produce more memorable, personalized, and effective marketing materials. Not sure what you should be doing to increase brand awareness (and drive revenue) this season? Keep reading for our ultimate guide to holiday marketing in July.

1. Hand-Delivered Holiday Cards

Holiday cards are a great marketing tactic for a plethora of reasons. Cards are an excellent opportunity to thank and value your customers, brand your business, and showcase your company’s professionalism. These pieces can help reconnect with past customers and strengthen your relationships with current. The key to a stand-out card is not only an eye-catching design but sending them early! Beat the bulk arrival of cards by sending yours at the beginning of the month.  

2. Optimize Your Digital Ads

Calling all small business advertisers! The holiday season’s an essential time to get strategic with your ad copy. Start brainstorming some clever digital advertising ideas that feature specific holiday messaging and seasonal promotions. Do your research to help you determine what’s going to be most effective for audience reach and engagement. Don’t be afraid to get creative! Creating “punny”, clever, and relatable ad copy this season can help your ads stand out from the rest.

3. Embrace Email Marketing

Email marketing is an efficient way to both connect personally with customers and drive them to your website. Use email marketing to show gratitude towards your current and prospective customers by utilizing audience segmentation. Segmentation allows you to tailor your messaging to directly relate to a specific audience. Studies show that nearly 50% of buyers have made purchases impulsively after receiving a personalized experience (i.e. segmentation). Email marketing can also be used to efficiently spread the word on holiday promotions and specials, driving audience members to your website to learn more.

4. Optimize Your Website

Customers are valuing website experience this year, more than ever. Take some time this season to analyze how customers are both getting to and interacting with your company’s current website. More often than not, audience members are viewing your site via mobile as opposed to desktop. Ensuring your website is mobile-friendly can help improve the overall experience, encouraging buyers to follow through with any holiday purchases.

5. Utilize Social Media

Consumers are often using social media around the holiday season, which means implementing a unique social media strategy this winter is essential. Create a holiday-focused strategy to increase brand awareness and promote special offers. Showcase your brand’s personality to both new and existing customers with behind-the-scenes employee activities and stories.

The key to successful holiday marketing is finding what works best for your specific brand. Following this guide can ensure that all your seasonal marketing “checkboxes” are covered, offering you multiple tactics to see what works best for you. Need help implementing a more intricate marketing strategy for the holiday season? Connect with our marketing professionals today!