8 Holiday Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

December is almost halfway over, and hopefully your holiday marketing efforts are in full swing. While families slow down and enjoy each other’s company during this time of year, many businesses actually pick up speed fulfilling the seasonal demand. During these busy days, make sure you aren’t making any of these holiday marketing mistakes.

  1. Underestimating your competition – If you are accustomed to a busy holiday season, it might be tempting to half-heartedly throw together a marketing campaign. Lazy efforts could give your competition the upper hand. Strive for higher sales this December than you achieved last year.
  2. Overlooking other holiday traditions – It is easy to forget that not all of your customers celebrate the same holidays. Keep differing traditions in mind while wording your advertisements and communications.
  3. Ignoring purchase patterns – Team up a stocking stuffer that just isn’t moving off the shelves with one of your more popular gift items to create more sales before January comes around the corner.
  4. Using last year’s campaign – People will notice, and it will appear cheap and unimaginative. A new campaign with fresh wording will grab your customer’s attention and give them a new perspective – even on older products.
  5. Forgetting the last-minute shopper – Several desperate customers will hit the pavement with only days or hours left to shop. As the countdown to the holidays shorten, lengthen your hours and restock your inventory. Advertise these hours to attract last-minute shoppers.
  6. Neglecting your online store – Every year more and more people turn to the internet to beat crowds and complete their online shopping in peace. Don’t forget to add holiday discounts and seasonal items to your website.
  7. Staying quiet on the little extras – If you offer complimentary gift wrapping or special holiday deliveries, broadcast these perks to your customers. It is the little details that will set you apart from your competition.
  8. Sloppy discount timing – Carefully timing your discounts to become steeper and steeper as time wears on will bring in customers who initially backed off certain items because of price, and it will prevent you from opening your store on January 1st with holiday items still cluttering the shelves.

If you’re stuck for creative holiday marketing ideas, let the American Marketing Association help you brainstorm. Join us today to network with other professionals in your field and obtain access to all of our wonderful resources.

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