The holidays are here! No matter what you choose to celebrate (or not) many people feel very festive during this time of the year. Most businesses approach the holidays with a consumer mindset: offer deals that customers are undoubtedly hunting down. While discounts can be a boon for business owners, does it really make sense for businesses to go all-in on advertising spending during this season?
The Truth About Holiday Advertising
In our experience, unless your business has a physical storefront or offers services that someone would use during the holiday season, your advertising dollars will not be well-spent. Most people focus solely on scoring a deal and crossing items off their to-do list. This is, after all, one of the busiest seasons of the year. They’re not primed to become a new customer when they’re planning get-togethers, shopping for co-workers or preparing to travel to see family.
When You Should Start Advertising for the Holidays
Most consumers begin their holiday shopping in November, with October being a close second. While consumers start thinking about holiday shopping in the fall, most national companies start planning their advertising spending in the Spring. On a local level, business owners should start to plan their holiday marketing campaigns three to six months in advance, late spring to early summer. Though it may be hard to get into the holiday mindset during that time, establishing a plan will put you ahead of your competition and prepare you to greet the season with ease.
Additionally, time is required to develop quality advertising content, prepare and print marketing collateral and buy media through various outlets (TV, radio, billboards, print publications and more). Most businesses need to utilize more than just an online presence in order to reach their target audience. Additionally, a well-executed media campaign includes eye-catching, flawless images and video — which takes time and effort.
Lastly, if you’re unclear about who exactly your target audience is, the holiday season is not the best time to figure it out. Spending time earlier in the year to hash out your target audience will yield much more effective results come winter. In order to see success, understanding your demographic is the key to any ad campaign.
It’s Not Too Late to Plan for Next Year
Christmas is a major opportunity for most businesses to bring in last-minute sales before closing out for the year. Though this season is done and dusted for planning a holiday campaign, now is a great time to start planning for 2023. Use this season to discover what sold the best, what sold well and what barely sold at all. Look into the areas of your business that you really want to highlight to customers next season. And start thinking about your ideal customer.
If all of that sounds daunting, don’t worry! We at Crystal Peak Design are here to help. From inception to creation to completion, we can support you in realizing your ideal marketing plan. Get started today by contacting us at info@cyrstalpeakdesign.com.
By Alexis Miller
