With Thanksgiving wrapping up, Black Friday quickly follows, and Cyber Monday is right on its heels. As the holiday season approaches, it’s crucial to maximize your eCommerce potential during this peak period.
Last year, brands saw unprecedented success with Black Friday generating $9.5 billion in sales, and Cyber Monday anticipated to set new records. This year, prepare for another lucrative season by optimizing your holiday advertising strategies. Here are five key strategies to elevate your campaigns:
1. Elevate Your Bids Strategically
The holiday season brings increased competition as brands vie for consumer attention. To stand out, consider elevating your bids in advance of Thanksgiving weekend. By analyzing historical performance data, identify the days with the highest traffic—typically Black Friday and Cyber Monday—and adjust your bids accordingly. This means not only increasing your base and maximum bids but also adjusting your daily budget caps to handle the influx of potential customers. Additionally, refine your bidding schedules and dayparting strategies to align with peak traffic times throughout the day. This proactive approach ensures that you capture as much of the holiday traffic as possible.
2. Harness the Power of Cross-Device Targeting
Today’s shoppers use multiple devices to research and complete their purchases. To ensure that your advertising reaches these consumers across their various screens, implement cross-device targeting across all your campaigns. This is particularly crucial for retargeting efforts where users may interact with your brand on one device but complete their purchase on another. Cross-device targeting enables you to maintain a consistent presence and messaging as users transition between devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets, thus maximizing your chances of conversion and improving overall ROI.
3. Get a Head Start with Early Planning
In recent years, retailers have begun rolling out holiday promotions earlier in the year. This trend is likely to continue, with many starting their holiday sales well before the traditional shopping rush. To capitalize on this shift, adjust your campaign budgets to ensure you’re pacing your spending throughout the season. This means not only managing your daily spend but also planning for peak days and key promotional events. Allocate extra budget for critical days, such as those with major sales or last shipping deadlines, to ensure your campaigns remain effective and relevant as the season progresses. This early preparation helps avoid fulfillment bottlenecks and optimizes campaign performance.
4. Engage and Target Mobile Audiences Effectively
While eCommerce is booming, brick-and-mortar store visits still play a significant role during the holiday season. To engage consumers who are shopping across different channels, leverage geofencing and geoframing technologies. Geofencing allows you to target mobile users with relevant ads while they are physically present in specific locations, such as shopping malls or retail stores. After they leave these locations, geoframing can help you reconnect with them on other devices, ensuring you remain top-of-mind as they continue their holiday shopping journey. This approach not only enhances your reach but also increases the likelihood of capturing conversions across both online and in-store channels.
5. Leverage High Buying Signals for Maximum Impact
The holiday shopping rush is characterized by rapid decision-making. To make the most of this, focus on capturing high-intent buyers who are ready to make a purchase. Utilize recent CRM data to target customers who have previously shown interest or made recent purchases. Implement strategies for cross-selling or upselling related products to these high-value customers. Additionally, target sites and content related to holiday gift guides and shopping lists with contextual keyword targeting. Keywords like “holiday gift ideas,” “tech gifts,” or “travel gifts” can help you reach consumers actively seeking gift options. Implement retargeting strategies with higher bids for recent site visitors to keep your brand top-of-mind and drive conversions during this high-stakes period.
As you prepare your advertising campaigns for the holiday season, remember that AlwaysOn Digital is here to support your efforts. Our team of digital marketing experts is equipped to help you navigate the complexities of holiday advertising and achieve exceptional results. Don’t hesitate to reach out and let us assist you in crafting a winning strategy for this festive season. Contact us today to start planning your most successful holiday campaign yet!
