Christmas is about two months away – a season full of festive music, great food and decorations.
For business owners, however, it is a busy time with dreams of gift guides, Christmas displays and an abundance of sales, especially for those involved in holiday sales and marketing. When is the right time to start Christmas marketing or sales? This question is a bit tricky.
This is because starting too early may turn people off. But starting late may make you lose your customers to competition.
So, how does one strike a balance? These tips might help:
- Start marketing early: “to stay top of mind and gain an early share in holiday budgets, marketers should be prepared to launch Christmas marketing efforts by November 1st, if not sooner,” says a brand marketing strategist, Jenn Horner.
There are those who get annoyed with early Christmas marketing while some others are excited about it. However, most business owners and marketers agree that there is a “right” time.
Laura Walstrom, marketing manager of Nikita Hair recommends starting at the end of October, but insists that not every business should start Christmas marketing at the same time. Hear her: “Choosing when to begin your advertising is entirely dependent on your business and what you are selling.”
- Plan all year long: By doing this, you are able to remember clearly everything that worked and didn’t work the previous season and then identify solutions to make the next holiday season smoother and more successful.
Once you do this, create a marketing calendar and plan tests for the rest of the year.
Planning early gives you the chance to craft a well-laid plan and develop custom content that features different ad copy and graphics for you to test out.
Keep winning!
Author: Saige Driver, Social Media Strategist