The holidays are here and it’s time to capitalize on the seasonal advertising opportunities it provides. According to Statista, 123 billion was the total value of all US sales made by e-commerce businesses. This took place entirely during the 2018 holiday season. With that much opportunity to make sales on the line, now is the time to start utilizing paid advertising!
Here are a couple of tips on how you can utilize an increased advertising budget for your company.
Tips On Paid Advertising
It’s crucial to capitalize on the high commercial searches during the holiday season. Don’t forget that your prospects don’t stop using the internet in December. In addition to browser searches, shoppers have been increasingly utilizing Facebook and Instagram for their inspiration.
Consumers use the internet to search for ideas for birthday, anniversary, and celebration gifts for their loved ones. With this in mind, here are some ways you can utilize this holiday season to promote your online advertisement.
Should I use Facebook Ads or Google Adwords?
Although advertising on Facebook can be thought of as similar to AdWords, in that advertisers using both platforms are essentially promoting their business via the Internet, this is where the similarities end. Unlike paid search, which helps businesses find new customers via keywords, paid social helps users find businesses based on the things they’re interested in and the ways in which they behave online.
When it comes to the primary difference between Google AdWords and Facebook Ads, you can think of it this way: AdWords helps high intent customers find your business, while Facebook helps new customers find you.
Harnessing the power of both paid search and paid social is a remarkably effective advertising strategy. However, it necessitates a dual advertising strategy that aligns with the strengths of each respective platform. Marketing messaging can – and arguably should – remain consistent across both Google AdWords and Facebook Ads. It’s vital to understand how best to use each platform for maximum ROI and greater business growth.
If this process seems a little daunting, BrandRep can help you with any questions you may have. We can help you get started if you’re interested in taking advantage of both Google and Facebook ads. Interested in learning more? Fill out our survey at the end of the article to get in contact with one of our representatives!
We’re excited to present you with 3 top tips to improve your holiday paid advertisement campaigns and how to capitalize on the increased consumer spending this time of the year.
1. Increase Your Budget
During the holiday season, businesses begin to take advantage of consumers’ search for deals and promotions. For this reason, competition for ads becomes more expensive. With more businesses purchasing ad space more common keywords start skyrocketing in price. To avoid that we recommend two options:
- Increase your AD budget
- Find new keywords
By increasing your ad budget you will have a better chance of getting the keywords you want and reaching your audience. This option is easier than restarting your campaign with a new ad, though it can begin to become pricey. If you are a storefront or a service, having your ads only appear locally can help in decreasing the costs of your ads while still keeping the local audience.
The second option explores the idea of using new keywords for the holiday season. Using tools such as Google Keyword Planner can help your business find keywords. These Keywords can cost less than the ones your business may be using now. This will help you use to focus on ads that work with your audience. At a cheaper price, due to using keywords that other businesses aren’t bidding for, you come up on top.
2. Attach promotions to your Ads
Understanding which ads have worked for your business in the past is key for the holiday season. Consider the different strategies, or formats, that have been successful to utilize in the holiday seasons. Consumers are now being bombarded with different offers from businesses and it has become harder to stand out from the noise.
Attach a coupon or deal with some of your most popular items to catch the eye of your consumers. The better the coupon the more likely your ad will be clicked on.
Offering an easily redeemable discount is always a strong e-commerce marketing tactic. That strength is somewhat diminished when all of your competitors are also offering discounts. So, no matter how enticing of an offer you’re making, you need to make sure your ad copy is fantastic. Take a look at the successful promotions you’ve advertised on Facebook and Instagram in the past and see if there are any common themes across the copy. If something seems to be working keep doing it, the holiday season is not the time to get experimental!
3. Create Themed Advertisement
It’s time to spice up your advertisements a bit more for the Holiday season. Go Holiday-crazy in your ads. Here are some ideas you can try:
- Buy Today & Receive Before Christmas
- Shop Now For Stress-Free Holidays!
The countdown feature is also very effective when incorporated into the ad copy. Here are some ideas:
- Holiday Shipping Ends in {countdown} days. Shop Now!
- Hurry, Only {countdown} days to order for Christmas!
Many people buy for themselves during the holiday season, so don’t forget to target this group, too. Personally, if I see something I like, I buy one for myself and one for someone I’m shopping for. In your ad copy, something as simple as “Treat Yourself” can be an effective strategy to target these shoppers.
Bonus Tip: Utilize Themed Posts and Banners
In addition to taking advantage of themed advertisement, also consider updating your Facebook Banner and posts to reflect the holiday season. When shoppers research your business, a couple of holiday posts and banners can help put them in the mindset of holiday shopping.
Holiday posts could be a great way to help you get more engagement for your social media posts when done right. Here are a few ideas your business can utilize today:
- Holiday Hours: Announce your new operation hours if they will be changing during the holidays. If your store or services will be closed, let your customers know when you’ll be back in again, and be sure to post at least a day or two in advance.
- Culture Posts: Let your customers and clients know that your business is into the holiday spirit! Show off your decorated office, office group picture, or even a holiday selfie in front of a Christmas tree.
- One Day Sale: Reward those who follow your social media page with a one-day sale on any of your products or services.
- Customer Appreciation: With the end of the year nearing, take this time to show your appreciation to your customers and clients. You can’t do it without them!
The end of the year can be a stressful time for both consumers and companies. Taking the time to properly strategize your advertising campaign can be the difference between a bad year and a successful one. With proper preparation, you’ll be able to reduce that stress and make the most out of the upcoming season.
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