Christmas is one of the most effective times to reach out to your target market and grow your customer base; which is why, no matter the size of your business, whether you are a freelancer, small business or a larger company, it is important to utilise the Christmas period to your advantage. Consumers spend more money over the Christmas period than any other time of year, which is why the opportunity to create a Christmas marketing campaign is a chance that should definitely not be wasted. So, if you are looking to create the perfect Christmas marketing campaign, here are seven simple steps that you should take into consideration.
Review Previous Campaign Performances
Before you go ahead with your latest Christmas campaign, you should first look back on previous projects in order to get an idea of what has or hasn’t worked in the past. Consider what factors have worked best to grab the attention of your audience and try to find creative ways to replicate this in your latest campaign performance. The earlier you can undertake this type of analysis research, the better, but it’s never too late: so, start now!
Consider Your Target Audience
It is always better to make your campaigns as targeted towards your intended audience as possible, rather than choosing a generic message that isn’t quite going to hit the mark with your customers. It might be a good idea to conduct some market research into the current behavioural trends of your customer base so that you can update your campaign methods accordingly. For example, while an older audience might be interested in seeing ‘traditional’ Christmas values, a millennial audience will probably be more concerned about philanthropic ventures that match the moral ideals of a modern Christmas.
Choose the Best Marketing Channel
Defining the content that you create will be dependent on which marketing channels you intend to use. Social media marketing, content marketing, radio, and TV advertisements are all channels that require very different strategies, so you will need to consider which channels will work best for your intended purposes. If you are unsure of which channels would be best to utilise, then you may find that content marketing and social media campaigns are possibly the most versatile option for small businesses working with a more refined budget.
Plan Your Message
Some companies make the mistake of thinking that creating a generic Christmas-related advert will be enough to keep up with their competition, but in actual fact, Christmas marketing campaigns have become some of the most competitive creations across a range of industries. In most instances, you will find that the thing audiences respond most to within Christmas marketing campaigns is not the imagery used or the product offers, but rather the message behind the campaign. Therefore, one of the most important steps for you to take when planning your Christmas marketing is to consider what you want your message to be. Not only should this be tailored to the needs of your audience, but also to your brand values and how you want your customers to feel when they see your campaign, as this is what will help you showcase how you differ from your competitors.
Pick A Suitable Theme
Once you’ve decided on what your message for the campaign will be, you can then decide on an appropriate theme. You will need to choose a simple idea that will work across all of your chosen marketing channels, as anything that is too complex may become lost in translation. For example, the theme of ‘family’ is versatile enough to be easily translated across a range of channels using still imagery, film and written content.
Create the Right Image
The visuals of your marketing campaign are going to be the most attention-grabbing part of your project, which is why it is so important to create the right image for your needs. The content that you put out needs to not only fit in with the aesthetic of your business or product but also be suited to your target market. Creating the perfect aesthetic for your campaign is a very niche skill, which is why it is always useful to have a skilled and experienced director to hand who can help you in perfecting the vision for your brand marketing.
Decide What You Have to Offer
Finally, you need to consider what it is that you want to be able to offer your customers over the Christmas period. In other words, what is the purpose behind your campaign? Have you got any specific deals that you want your customers to take note of or some new merchandise that is only available for a limited time over Christmas? In order for your campaign to be successful, it should be clear what the purpose of the campaign is, while still using personal touches to make the message feel sincere.