Here are 4 steps for better marketing ahead of holiday season

The holiday season is upon us, which means online businesses need to start cracking on how they can get most out of the shopping period.

With consumers getting into the spending most, marketers know all too well that the season is one of the best periods of the year to capitalize on.

And as retailers and other businesses prepare for the season, here are a few tips that will help your company with a better marketing strategy, as listed in The Entrepreneur.

1) Create more value instead of more discounts

Consumers often associate holiday season with discounts and almost all businesses offer just that. To set yourself apart, you should come up with a better story.

According to The Entrepreneur, there is a growing segment of consumers who appreciate a connection with a brand in the pursuit of authenticity in the brand they associate themselves with. Storytelling in campaigns is among the best ways to do this. The ““WestJet Christmas Miracle” campaign, which went viral and gained popularity is among the examples of how storytelling helped made their marketing

The ““WestJet Christmas Miracle” campaign, which went viral and gained popularity is among the examples of how storytelling helped made their marketing a success.

SEE ALSO: 5 steps for planning your company’s social media marketing strategy 

2) Come up with an advertising budget and don’t spend more.

Many retailers have found that their over profit did not increase although sales were noticeably higher throughout the season, thanks to overspending on marketing and operations.

It’s best to list down all the expected expenses and the forecast in sales, a job made easier with the help of a bookkeeper and an accountant. Based on this, you should be able to gauge how much to spend on advertisements.

SEE ALSO: Email marketing is still a thing, and this is why you should care 

3) Pick the best channels to promote your products

As businesses have diversified their advertising to include social media (apart from local TV and newspapers), there is now a host of ways to get your message across.

The best channels for you depends on a number of factors as well, including budget, timing and your targeted customers. Will you consider sending out email blasts or take nice shots for Instagram, or even consider a Facebook ad campaign?

4) Start making your marketing collaterals early

After finalising your budget and strategy approach, your business should get started on designing all the assets early, according to a contributor at The Entrepreneur.

As the season is a busy period for designers and other staff, it’s important to get started before they are occupied with other clients and stuff. Waiting until the last minute may also cost more as you might encounter an expedited service fee.

Starting early also means you would have more time to handle those unexpected activities that may arise as the season draws closer.

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