2022 has been another challenging year for businesses. Just as we’re recovering from the impact of Coronavirus we find ourselves in the midst of economic uncertainty.
As always, Christmas presents us all with a huge opportunity to end the year on a high note. But you must be mindful of the common mistakes that can limit your potential at this special time of year.
Here are five marketing mistakes that you really want to avoid in the run-up to Christmas 2022.
01. Posting Christmas content ‘just because’
Christmas is of course the biggest sales period of the year so you need to attract as much of that seasonal spending as possible with a considered, well-planned marketing campaign. What you don’t want to do is just add snow and Santa to an ongoing campaign and be done with it, as people will see right through it.
How to avoid this?
Think about the kinds of content that would actually be useful for your customers at this time of year. The festive period can be stressful for some people, so if you have a product or service which makes their lives easier, or solves a problem they might be experiencing, or will just put a big festive smile on their face, then create content to let them know.
02. Not acknowledging your loyal customers
It has been another tough year for everyone and yet your most loyal customers have supported you over the past 12 months. It would be remiss not to thank them for their business and loyalty.
How to avoid this?
Acknowledge loyal customers by sending a ‘thank you’ email to those who have spent with you this year, or if you have really special customers, send them a card (yes, an actual physical card, through the post). You could also direct them to an exclusive landing page containing a discount code or other incentive.
At Reach we can help you build a landing page from £100 (+VAT).
03. Not rewarding your loyal customers
This is a discretionary tactic depending on your type of business, but giving out something for free can really add value to your business. A discount code can be effective but any sales boost may be short term (and may actually cheapen your offering in the long run).
How to avoid this?
Christmas is all about giving, but businesses are unlikely to give away anything for free. You could be the exception and offer something for free to make customers feel valued. It could range from incentives like free delivery and gift wrapping to an actual free gift for your most loyal customers. You could consider gift vouchers here, by offering someone a free £5 voucher for themselves when they buy a £20 voucher for others.
04. Having an unclear returns policy
We’ve all received gifts we didn’t really want. As such, customers are much more likely to pay attention to return policies at Christmas than other times in the year.
How to avoid this?
Choosing gifts for those you love can be difficult so it will give people more confidence to buy if your returns policy is clear, uncomplicated and in plain sight. Having such transparency adds trustworthiness to your brand.
05. Being boring with your marketing
Ultimately you want to inspire and add value to your product or service, by capitalising on Christmas and the events around the end of year. But don’t fall into the trap of just doing the same thing, same artwork, same messages as it can have the opposite effect and bore your target audience.
How to avoid this?
Always keep things interesting and learn from the previous years’ activities. Remember it’s not always a sales message or product discount. Whatever it is should be fun and add value and drive engagement to your business. Of course if a previous offer or promotion really worked, it’s worth revisiting this Christmas!
Need a hand?
Click below to get in touch and talk to us today about a bespoke marketing campaign. We have the audience, offers, solutions and in-house expertise to help you attract more customers this Christmas.
We’ve helped many thousands of businesses avoid the common mistakes and deliver successful Christmas campaigns, so trust us to make this a season to remember.
