6 Tactics for Lifting Sales during
the Holiday Season
The holiday season is fast approaching, but there is still time to implement these tactics for higher sales.
The holiday season is right around the corner. It seems to come faster and faster every year, doesn’t it?
While you are likely finalizing some of your holiday promotional plans, there are still some ways you can drive an extra sales lift, especially in a holiday shopping season made less predictable by inflation.
Ready to give your brand the gift of a sales lift this holiday season? Consider these 6 tactics you can still implement for the holiday season.
1. Engage Consumers through Personalization
Consumers are overwhelmed by brand messages during the holiday season, many of which don’t succeed in capturing their attention. Personalized marketing messages allow your brand to break through the noise.
Email is a great medium for personalization. Inboxes are especially flooded with offers during the holidays and adding personalized touches is a tool for engagement. It not only leads to increased sales but guarantees a higher opening rate. In fact, consumers are 50% more likely to open an email where the subject line features the recipient’s name, recent purchase, or any other kind of personalization.
Incorporating personalization into your holiday communication strategy is an effective way to engage your target market and help lead them through. the funnel.
2. Enhance Point-of-Purchase Displays
Beyond brand marketing, think about shoppers who aren’t already part of your target audience. Encouraging impulse purchases in-store is a great way to lift sales during the holiday season.
Shoppers know that the perfect gift for someone in their life, or the right snack to bring to the holiday party, may not already be on their list. Retail displays can help nudge them in the right direction and showcase products they may have not considered. Studies have shown that 1 in 3 holiday purchases are made on impulse, including in-store.
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The key here is to make your in-store display unique enough to stand out. Stores are covered in red, green, and sparkly decorations, making it difficult for shoppers to know where to look. Consider venturing into some guerilla tactics. Or get creative with your messaging or imagery. Make sure that display evokes emotion and is effective in encouraging impulse buys.
3. Generate and Reward Loyalty
Discounts usually take precedent over loyalty throughout the holiday season. However, while consumers are being inundated with promotions, generating and rewarding loyalty can also make your brand stand out.
Holiday shoppers are concerned about prices, but also make decisions emotionally. Loyalty and experiential brand interactions make consumers feel special. Consider giving loyal customers a free gift with their holiday purchase, or doubling points for the month of December if your brand already has a loyalty program. Or go the extra mile to create a truly unique in-store experience.
Rewarding loyal customers encourages them to make more purchases and protects against losing a sale because of a better discount.
4. Bolster Organic Content with Influencers
When deciding where and how to shop during the holiday season, consumers often turn to real people. Organic content and influencer partnerships are awesome tools for gaining consumer trust and reaching the right audience at the right time.
While Amazon and Google are here to stay, consumers are also looking to platforms like Tik Tok to make decisions about holiday purchases. Popular holiday Tik Tok content includes gift guides, shopping hauls, hosting tips, decorating, recipes, best sales, and more.
Working with an influencer that aligns with your brand is a great way to engage in organic marketing and capitalize on an already engaged audience. This is especially true if your target audience is Gen Z. Additionally, when influencers are seen using a product on a platform, other platform users are encouraged to post reviews as well.
6 in 10 shoppers say that they get holiday inspiration and ideas from social media sites. Consider working with an influencer(s) and encouraging organic content to lift sales.
Interested in learning more about organic content and influencer marketing?
5. Leverage Opportunities to Cross-sell and Up-sell
Lifting sales during the holiday season can be done by engaging existing customers, in addition to reaching new ones.
Cross-selling and up-selling are great ways of encouraging additional purchases and strengthening the chance of a repurchase. For example, bundle your products for a premium or use highly relevant suggestions in your digital check-out.
While customers are looking for a great deal, cross-selling and up-selling allows brands to sell more to the same customer, leading to higher sales.
6. Embrace the Season of Giving
As stated, purchases are an emotional decision. This is especially true during the holiday season when the spirit of giving is pretty universally adopted.
Encourage shoppers to choose your brand by using a philanthropic tie-in. For example, a percentage of each purchase made within a certain time will go to a worthy cause. Or engage in charitable acts outside of purchases and showcase this in your marketing.
71% of consumers will spend more if their money is going to a cause. Embracing the season of giving will not only lift sales but allow consumers to feel good about their purchase decisions.
Ready to optimize your Holiday strategy?
See how M_LAB’s team of experts can help your organization perform to its full potential this holiday season.