43 Tips for

KILLER Holiday Retail Campaigns

The 2013 holiday season is coming up fast!

•  Struggling to lock down all your holiday media buys?

•  Feel like you’re scrambling to keep up on the latest trends and technologies?

•  Not sure how to practically apply the latest buzzwords – big data, small data, hyperlocal, second screen, native ads, gamification – to your ad campaigns?

Don’t worry – you’re definitely not alone!

The good news: the rise of new marketing channels and

technologies presents a HUGE opportunity for advertisers.

We know it’s tough out there for advertisers. Attention spans are short, budgets are tight, and the market is more crowded than ever. To make things easier, we have a little gift for you – 43 tips to help you cut through the noise and make an impact with your holiday ads.

Not sure where to start? Let us help you out.

Build detailed personas for each your target audiences – who they are, what they want, how you can help – and tailor your campaign messaging accordingly.

Get smart about segmentation. 1

Over half of US adults own smartphones. One third own tablets. Avoid frustrating mobile users by making your website, blog, emails, landing pages, and any other digital assets mobile-friendly.

Mobilize your campaigns. 2

Leverage both traditional ad networks and Facebook Exchange ads to retarget shoppers who visit a page or abandon their cart without buying. Test di!erent messages, products, and audience segments to find what works best.

Get creative with retargeting. 3

Many US consumers watch TV while using Facebook on their smart phones. Synchronize your Facebook ads to air at the same time as your TV ads. Yes, it’s possible, and we can help you do it. Contact us to learn more.

Leverage the second screen. 4

Don’t rely on tired stock photos for your ads. Use eye-catching, high resolution images that connect emotionally with consumers. This is especially true for Facebook, where image-rich ads have consistently better engagement rates.

Use great images. 5

Big data may be all the rage, but small data – timely, relevant snippets of data often segmented and optimized from big data sources – is what really makes real-time marketing possible. Connect your small data feeds, such as inventory, email subscriptions, and cart abandonments, to Facebook ads and measure their impact on ROI. Contact us to learn more.

Leverage small data. 6

No one wants to feel marketed to. Use ordinary language and a conversational tone in your ad campaigns. Avoid jargon and buzzwords at all costs.

Talk like a normal human being. 7

The best campaigns leverage multiple marketing channels. Make sure you’re telling an integrated, but not repetitive, story across email, mobile, social media, web, print, television, and any other channels you’re using.

Tell a multi-channel story. 8

Try gamifying your online user experience to motivate shoppers to take certain actions. For example, you might o!er a 10% discount to refer a friend, or create a system of badges and rewards for leaving online reviews.

Make it all fun and games. 9

Beautiful images and artful ad copy aren’t enough. If your audience doesn’t know how to convert or where to go next, your ads will fall flat.

Have a compelling call to action. 10

Third-party validation is everything. Integrate consumer reviews into your advertising content to give shoppers confidence in your product.

Integrate customer reviews. 11

‘Tis the season for giving. Inspire some good will among your fans and customers by pledging a percentage of sales to charity this holiday season. For the best results, pick a specific charity and timeframe (48 hours, for example) to encourage fans to act.

Give something back. 12

Show your top customers and fans how much you value them – reward them with exclusive o!ers like discounts, pre-sales, and free shipping.

Reward your best customers. 13

Give shoppers every opportunity to share your amazing products, o!ers, and content. Integrate social sharing opportunities into every aspect of your online campaigns, from emails to content to product and thank-you pages.

Make it ridiculously easy to share. 14

Give your brand a festive makeover with holiday-inspired imagery on your social profiles and web properties.

Show your holiday spirit. 15

Everyone likes to shop di!erently. Make it easy for consumers to shop in whatever way suits them best: online, in-store, or on their phones.

Let customers shop how they want to shop. 16

Human beings are hard-wired for empathy. Make sure your campaigns speak to shoppers’ needs, hopes, dreams, and challenges, and show how you can help.

Empathize with your buyer. 17

Get customers in the holiday spirit with a countdown promotion, such as the 8 nights of Hanukah, an advent calendar, or a New Year’s Eve ticker. Work in time-specific deals and o!ers to create a sense of urgency.

Do a holiday count-down. 18

On Facebook, invest in News Feed Ads, where you’ll see better engagement and clickthrough rates. Leverage the mobile News Feed, too, and remember that beautiful, high-resolution images are key!

On Facebook, focus on the News Feed. 19

Native advertising is ad content that blends into the surrounding context of the platform, and it includes ads like sponsored Tweets, Facebook News Feed ads, and sponsored blog posts. It’s a great way to engage shoppers without interrupting their experience, but there’s a catch – your content has to be good. Include a call to action, too!

Go native. 20

Mobile-friendly websites are important, but they aren’t enough. To o!er a really stellar mobile shopping experience, build a mobile application for your shoppers. Once you’ve built your app, Facebook’s mobile app download ads are a great way to promote it.

Build a mobile application. 21

Building your app is just step one. Once users have downloaded it, utilize Facebook’s new app engagement ads to keep them coming back.

Encourage mobile engagement. 22

Promotions and discounts are great, but you’ll sell more in the long run if you focus on helping shoppers, too. Help them solve a problem, such as finding the perfect gift or locating a rare item, and you’ll gain their loyalty as well as their dollars.

Don’t make it all about the sale. 23

Shoppers in Manhattan want di!erent things than shoppers in Memphis or, for that matter, in Queens. Tailor your messaging to reflect the style, quirks, and preferences specific to local markets, without succumbing to stereotypes. Start with small tests and iterate quickly on what works.

Get hyperlocal. 24

Sweepstakes and contests are a great way to gather new email addresses that you can market to year-round. Think carefully about your target audience and o!er a prize that will attract the right people.

Hold a contest or a sweepstakes. 25

Why should you get to have all the fun? Build an interactive Facebook app that lets shoppers create their own wishlists, find the perfect gift, follow Santa’s journey… you get the idea.

Build an interactive Facebook application. 26

Create short, memorable videos - no more than 15 seconds long - that showcase new products or share holiday tips. Include a call to action at the end to encourage shoppers to purchase, share, or simply stay engaged.

Use videos, but keep them short! 27

Your fans will get bored if you talk about your products nonstop. Give them a warm, fuzzy feeling with seasonal holiday content, such as tree decorating tips, favorite recipes, or top holiday movies.

Create a warm, fuzzy holiday feeling. 28

You wouldn’t be here without your customers. Remind them with a simple, heartfelt thank you. Bonus points if you send snail mail.

Say thank you (and mean it). 29

Smartphone or tablet? Cinnamon or peppermint? Christmas sweater or Santa hat? Holding votes can be a great way to gather customer intelligence. Not only will this help you know what customers want now; you can use this data to segment and target o!ers throughout the year.

Ask customers what they want. 30

Add a little fun to your social marketing messages by throwing out some holiday trivia. To encourage participation, o!er a prize to the winner.

Ask your fans a trivia question. 31

Sudden blizzard in New York? Just hit 80 degrees in Phoenix? Synchronize your Facebook ads with the weather outside for hyperlocal relevance. We can help you do just that. Contact us to learn how.

Respond to fair or frightful weather. 32

Creating buzz for your brand is hard, but you don’t have to do all the work yourself. Piggyback o! of known buzzworthy events. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and National Free Shipping Day (Dec. 18, 2013) are a few that come to mind.

Capitalize on trending conversations. 33

Nothing generates urgency quite like scarcity. Inspire shoppers to act quickly with flash sales, limited-time o!ers, and limited-quantity supplies.

Use scarcity to your advantage. 34

Whether it’s free shipping, free gift wrap, or free valet parking, go above and beyond to stand out in the eyes of your customer. They’ll remember it later.

O!er a little something extra. 35

Who doesn’t love reminiscing about time-honored holiday traditions? Inspire some feel-good nostalgia among shoppers by incorporating old-time photographs, carols, movies, and classic advertisements into your campaigns.

Indulge in a little nostalgia. 36

Pay close attention to your inventory supplies. Turn o! ads when an item is out of stock, and ramp them up when you have a surplus. We can help you do this automatically! Contact us to learn how.

Tie your ads to your inventory levels. 37

Invite shoppers to share their favorite holiday memories. Hold a contest for the funniest, most unusual, or most inspiring stories.

Ask shoppers to share their stories. 38

It’s nice to be reminded that real people work behind the brands we love. Give your campaigns a human touch by showing your own employees getting into the holiday spirit. Keep it honest and authentic, not contrived.

Show the people behind the brand. 39

The holidays are a stressful time for retailers, but don’t be afraid to let your hair down every once in awhile. Have some fun with your marketing campaigns. Not only will it make your job easier; shoppers will pick up on the positive vibes, too.

Don’t forget to have some fun! 40

Shoppers don’t have time to browse your entire collection. Choose words like “Gifts for her” and “Gifts under $50” to categorize products and guide your shoppers toward the products they’re looking to buy.

Use the right keywords and phrases. 41

Help out your last-minute shoppers with goodies like overnight shipping, free gift wrap, and guaranteed delivery dates. Your stellar service and helpful spirit will make them more likely to come back next year.

Seize the (final) moment. 42

As you’re busy creating content for this year’s campaigns, make it easier on yourself for next year. Carve out some time to focus on your goals, priorities, and strategic initiatives for 2014.

Think about next year, this year. 43

Next Steps

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