Written by Allison Herrera
Winter is coming. But, really. We’ll trade out pumpkin everything for the scent of pine needles & sugar cookies in just a few, short weeks. & with winter comes the holidays.
This year in the United States, we can expect a quite different holiday season…especially in South Louisiana (thanks, Covid 19 AND Hurricane Ida). There’s many moving factors in terms of consumer behavior & the holiday shopping season. Lucky for us, Google and Boston Consulting Group conducted a series of surveys in regards to just that!
Their studies reveal that over 80% of consumers are seeking out in-person shopping experiences. When the pandemic initially hit, we observed a dramatic shift toward e-commerce. Retailers were practically forced to move to e-commerce or face the consequences of dying as a business. But, don’t put all your eggs in a basket when it comes to only selling online. As people yearn for more in-person experiences again, studies reveal that only 14% of U.S. shoppers say they will not shop in-stores this holiday season.
What does this mean? Well, it certainly doesn’t mean pull out of marketing – especially digital marketing. Instead, these numbers simply imply that a stronger look at your ad campaigns call to action (CTA) & social media strategy as a whole. Right now, companies should strongly focus on marketing the consumer experience & customer service – especially in terms of replying to direct messages on social media.
Studies from Sprout Social reveal that growth is expected across all social media platforms – Instagram in particular. They are predicting that Instagram messages received this year will increase on an average of 44% this holiday season. So, if you’re not replying back to messages, you will potentially lose a sale.
Three (3) tips for your marketing strategy during the “most wonderful time of the year” are…
- Have FAQs front & center. This eliminates answering the same question over & over again.
- Designate social media managers to certain field requests or concerns from clients. Make sure everyone is on the same page!
- ENGAGEMENT IS KEY! Whether it’s customized notes or company swag, show those who support you how much you appreciate them. It’s the little touches that make all the difference.
Not sure where to start or want to expand past just these three (3) tips above? Contact us today! We can help you with the mentioned above & develop a more streamlined, customized customized strategy for your desired holiday season goals.
