Coming out of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 holiday season will be one to prepare for. With such an uncertain year behind us, brands and retailers need to adjust their sales tactics in order to keep up with society’s ongoing changes. As the pandemic forced people to stay inside their homes, many people still choose to work, socialize, and shop from the comfort of their own homes, as we easily observed from last year’s holiday shopping.
So as this holiday shopping season approaches, Find Your Influence offers brands and retailers a few suggestions on how to best prepare for this busy sales period.
Make Online Options Equally as Accessible as In-Store
As shopping online is slowly but surely overpowering shopping in-person, brands need to be sure that they are taking advantage of their online opportunities. As Medium.com discovered during last year’s holiday season, the statistics have shown that online sales are skyrocketing compared to any other years before. Customers will be looking for online options more than ever.
Because of this, brands need to be on top of their plan for this year. Whether that is offering exclusive online sales or creating a new marketing strategy, this is not something to wait until the last minute to do. Make your website user friendly. Create online options that are unique to your brand. Market your products in a new fun way that will stand out to your customers. Whatever you do, get a head start on making your online strategy successful and unique to your brand or company.
The most important part of making online options accessible is to make sure people know about it. Hire an influencer to specifically market your easily accessible website. When making a deal with an influencer to promote your product or company, outlining what you want highlighted is very important. Make sure your influencer knows to share this great element of your brand with their audience.
Spread the Word on Different Social Media Platforms
Marketing for this year’s holiday season will be one to strategize for. As Adweek reported on 2021 holiday preparation, “people are discovering and purchasing on social more than ever.” As we can expect, online retail will be more crucial than any other year. Influencer marketing is one of the best options for getting your brand’s name and product out there.
Find an influencer that is a fan and genuine consumer of your product. Influencers that truly enjoy using and promoting your company are the best way to get your products out there as well as making the most of your deal with the influencer. Another key factor is planning which platforms an influencer will use to promote your brand. Based on their following, as well as your product’s target audience, promoting your brand on different platforms at different times can be a key element in getting your holiday sales up during this upcoming season.
Many brands are contracting influencers for holiday campaigns in July and August. Influencer rates can increase 15-20% in November and December. Smart brands will contract with influencers early, to lock in standard rates.
Plan for a Longer Holiday Shopping Season
As we saw last year, the online version of holiday shopping can last a lot longer than the usual Black Friday deals or the last minute Christmas shopping. This year, we can expect a longer and more drawn out holiday season when it comes to customer activity. As customer’s behavior continues to change, one thing that has been seen is the increase in preparation for the upcoming months in sales and travel. Travel plans are being made far in advance which can affect many brands. Preparing for these early bookings and unexpected purchases can be a key factor in maximizing sales this season. With such a technologically advanced and different world we live in today, brands can truly never start too early when it comes to preparing for this holiday season.
This preparation is easily accomplished by having an influencer market your brand as early as summertime. Whether paired with a discount code or a sale for booking during a certain time period, influencers can boost your sales in an unimaginable way. By picking the right influencers, platforms, and times to post, influencer marketing can be the perfect solution for your brand and holiday marketing strategy.
Looking to find an influencer to represent your brand for this holiday season? Request a demo of Find Your Influence today.
Freelance contribution especially written for Find Your Influence by Madelyn Schloss.