Top Digital Promotion Strategies for the Festive Season

Digital Promotion for Festive Season

As the world adapts to the new way of things, digital marketing is redefining growth for brands across multiple sectors around the globe! It goes way back to when brands were already well on their way to making digital strategies a significant part of their growth plan.

The last few years have seen a rise in internet consumption. As a consequence, consumer behavior has changed significantly. Internet hits have surged by 50-70%, according to Forbes. Consumers from the 35 to 44 age bracket have increased their internet usage by 11%, while millennials by 5-7%.

According to a global study by Salesforce Inc., consumers interact online with companies 60% of the time and offline 40% of the time. 88% of customers expect brands to accelerate digital initiatives due to the pandemic and 83% expect retailers to provide flexible shipping and fulfillment options like buy-online-pick-up-in-store.
These facts and figures have compelled brands to adapt much faster. And here we are, swimming in a sea of digital transformations!

The festive season is right around the corner. This creates an opportunity for brands to adopt an efficient strategy for festival marketing. Consumers are ready to spend their time and money online. Prominent platforms such as Facebook (+18%), Instagram (+20%), and WhatsApp (+17%) are witnessing rises in the number of sessions per week per user (Nielsen Report).

Digital marketing in the festive season is a spark of hope for brands who have struggled their way in the past couple of years. They must seize this opportunity to bounce back into the market.

Festival Marketing Strategy For Brands To Leverage Digital Power

How can brands cross the bridge from survival to success on the back of seasonal marketing ideas? Let’s dive into some festival marketing ideas that brands can bank on, this upcoming festive season-

1. Create Festive Content – All Kinds:

The most obvious and crucial strategy of them all – Create FESTIVE content of all sorts – from blog posts to ads to contests on social media. Make sure that they are all well in-sync so that each form points towards the other, increasing visibility everywhere. For example, if you create a digital campaign about festive offers, run a social media campaign along the same lines to promote it. Create a series of blog posts or social media status updates that focus on the festive season and how your brand holds the potential to add to users’ delight.

2. Use Remarketing & Email Marketing:

96% of customers leave a website without making a purchase (4 out of every 100 people). Here is where remarketing ad campaigns and Email marketing come to the rescue. If a shopper provides details but doesn’t check out, send a follow-up email to encourage them to complete the purchase. A remarketing ad campaign targets users who visited your site but then performed no action. Narrow your audience down and analyze their behavior. Figure out what caused them to reconsider the buy, and then urge them to try again via quick solutions.

3. Embrace Video Marketing:

Video Marketing is a MUST! Here are the figures that speak for the fact – 45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos a week. 51% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI. It generates 12x more shares than text and images combined – the list goes on! A one-minute video can set sail for your entire festive digital campaign. Videos can help your brand convey a message in a way that compels users to pay attention. Create powerful videos to make a lasting impact!

4. Tap Into Consumers’ Emotions:

There’s never a better time than the festive season to find consumers at their best! It’s the ideal time to tap into their emotions as the air is buzzing with excitement. Your digital marketing strategy during festivals must prioritize emotional appeal. Make sure that the messaging hits the sweet spots and makes the users want to be a part of your brand. Share inspirational messages on social media – give them a glimpse of how your brand is a family by highlighting celebration clips with employees. If you wish to evoke strong emotions, nostalgic messages are your best bet!

5. Start Your Digital Campaigns Early:

Having your plans ready in advance never hurts! Your target market should start thinking about your brand and products well before the festivities arrive. Work on a seasonal marketing campaign early, in September or early October. While many consumers lean towards last-minute shopping, others are early birds. This strategy allows you to capture both audiences. To entice the early shoppers, send out festive advertisements and seasonal offers ahead of time. The sooner you start, the better the campaign will fare.

6. Shower Them With Festive Discounts:

A little discount can go a long way! Consumers are hunting for festive rewards online, as we speak. To catch their eye quicker, highlight festive offers and discounts throughout the season. Most consumers focus on purchasing gifts for friends and family. That’s not to say that they will shy away from buying themselves a thing or 2 or 5, if they are on sale. This can also motivate shoppers to not only buy your product but also spend more time discovering more about your brand! So get those rewards ready; the festive season is more about giving anyway!

7. #HashtagItAll:

Leverage the reach and effectiveness of Hashtags on every platform possible, specially Instagram and Twitter. You can create more buzz about your product offerings and festive offers. Plus, creating a hashtag for shoppers will help you track user-generated content easily. Ask them to use it when sharing your posts/stories/videos on their social media handles and it becomes a one-stop source to track all the content related to your campaign. Keep them relevant and specific; don’t let creativity overpower the cause.

Also read: https://www.brightbraintech.com/blog/social-media-paid-promotion/

8. Arrange Virtual Tours & Events:

Large in-person events have been a big no-no since the pandemic. Many people are still on a voluntary lockdown, and rightfully so. Virtual events have been a great way of digital marketing in COVID times. They drive customer engagement and get them interested in your brand. You can introduce a new collection/range, host a Q&A session or give them a virtual tour of your store studded with your products. Decide on what will work best for your brand, and go for it!

9. Collaborate With Influencers:

Popular social media influencers today hold the undivided attention of a large number of followers. They have a strong online presence on multiple social media platforms. Devoted followers look up to them and perceive them as industry experts and trusted sources of information. Influencer marketing is a great way to leverage the faith that their target audience has in them, to promote brand awareness, while also promising visibility to the influencers on our platform.

The above-mentioned holiday marketing strategies for small businesses & grand organizations are going to be crucial to turn the tide in their favor! Brands of today, now is the time to leverage the power of digital platforms!

FAQ

1. What are famous festivals?

India is a nation that celebrates all religions. Hence, it’s no surprise that the list of festivals is a long one. Here are some of the most popular festivals celebrated country-wide:

-Diwali

-Holi

-Dussehra

-Eid-Ul-Fitr

-Ganesh Chaturthi

-Durga Pooja

-Baisakhi

-Maha Shivratri

-Navratri

-Christmas

2. How do you market for Christmas?

Here are some of the Christmas Marketing ideas that will bring great results rolling in:

-Give A Festive Look To Your Online / Offline Store

-Create Festive Gift Hampers

-Optimize Your Ad Campaigns

-Keep Gift Cards Ready

-Organize Festive Contests

-Offer Free Shipping

-Run A Pre- / Post-Christmas Sale Campaign

3. How can I increase sales during holidays?

Here is what you can do to increase sales during the holidays:

-Don’t hold back on giving Discount Offers to your customer base.

-Offer Free Shipping and Festive Packaging

-Send Personalized Wishing Emails / Messages to customers.

-Create content around the festive season in a way that hints towards your products and services.

-Cross-sell, a lot!

4. What is seasonal promotion?

Seasonal promotions are special offers, discounts, or limited edition items related to a significant event during the year. It can be a festive period like Diwali or Christmas or a certain time of year that works best for a particular business.

5. How do I start a holiday campaign?

Having your plans ready in advance never hurts! Your target market should start thinking about your brand and products well before the festivities arrive. Work on a seasonal marketing campaign early, in September or early October. While many consumers lean towards last-minute shopping, others are early birds. This strategy allows you to capture both audiences. To entice the early shoppers, send out festive advertisements and seasonal offers ahead of time. The sooner you start, the better the campaign will fare.

Need a digital marketing agency to help build you an effective marketing strategy during festivals? You are in the right place! BrightBrain is a Digital Marketing & Advertising Agency with a focus on building digital solutions for Branding and Increased Sales efficiency.

Our expertise includes Digital Advertising Campaigns, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Web Development, and Online Branding. Our Google Partnership brings a unique opportunity to work with the internal team at Google, adding even more value to our team & clients.

Sandeep Israni

Sandeep Israni is the co-founder of BrightBrain Marketing Technologies LLP – a firm that has now grown into a full-fledged digital marketing agency with 55+ employees and clients from 7+ countries – all under his supervision. He mastered the art of Executive Management at SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, followed by extensive industry experience. His unquestionable expertise allows him to help clients achieve the extraordinary in the digital realm.

Sandeep Israni