The COVID-19 outbreak changed the lives of consumers worldwide. People no longer gather together in large groups, and other restrictions remain in many cities. Today most events, social gatherings, and holiday celebrations involving large groups are held online. The pandemic has dramatically shifted the way consumers behave. Therefore, businesses must adjust holiday promotional strategies to keep attracting consumers and supporting existing customers.
Rethinking the Holiday Playbook
Usually, executives evaluate the things that worked last year vs. what didn’t to develop a marketing strategy. But that approach only works when the world is mostly the same as the previous year. There’s a pandemic this year, so your strategy should change.
Last year, most consumers commuted to work and went shopping in person. This year, people travel less regularly and have embraced the Internet for shopping. The pandemic has probably made consumers more cautious with spending too.
Many of the tactics you used to market your business during the holidays in previous years are probably obsolete. So reassess your holiday marketing playbook to ensure it’s still relevant.
Focus on Digital Marketing Channels
Holiday marketing channels involving in-person interaction, such as live events or conferences, have mostly disappeared. That poses an enormous challenge to B2B and B2C businesses, especially those that rely on in-person interactions to attract or convert prospects. Thankfully, you can still reach consumers on digital platforms.
Businesses should focus on digital marketing channels. Marketing performance in that avenue can be the primary deciding factor of whether a company makes it through these tough times or not. If you lack experience with online marketing, consider recruiting help.
Use Email Marketing
Email marketing should be a prominent part of your strategy. The marketing channel has consistently performed at high levels when it comes to ROI (return on investment). According to the DMA Marketer Email Tracker, businesses receive a 4,200 percent return from email efforts.
As a marketing channel, email is well suited to some of the challenges and opportunities arising from the pandemic. Email is a more intimate channel with many personalization possibilities, which is excellent because many people no longer prefer in-person interaction. You can also reach consumers quickly via email, and it offers near-instant performance feedback. That means you can adjust and optimize campaign tactics fast.
Wrapping Up
No doubt, this year’s holiday season will be challenging for many companies, but it also presents opportunities. For instance, online marketing channels are generally cheaper than traditional ones. Plus, you can often reach a massive amount of the target audience. So take advantage of all appropriate digital channels and ways you can maximize your business with hands-free, no-worries work. Good luck.