Between rapidly changing technology and the constantly shifting ground beneath our feet due to the COVID pandemic, retail consumers are behaving in ways that are different in 2021 than ever before. As a business going into the reliably busy holiday season, you need to understand how consumers are acting, what they’re looking for, and how best to reach them: when the world is changing so quickly and unpredictably, simply “doing what worked before” is no longer a safe strategy for your holiday marketing. Below are a few tips to help you and your business make the most of the holiday season this strange year.
Acknowledge the fulfillment frustrations of 2021, and time accordingly
The COVID pandemic elevated the phrase “supply chain” from a niche industry into something that’s on the lips of everyone in the nation and across the world. From staffing inconsistencies to raw material shortages to postal and shipping delays, supply chain “issues” have been making headlines the world over in the past two years, and your customers will know about it.
After 2020’s holiday postal drama and empty shelves, many consumers know that they need to adapt this year and not leave holiday shopping to the last minute. As a business, if your standard holiday marketing calendar stretches from Thanksgiving to Christmas, understand that your customers are likely already in the midst of their holiday shopping, and adjust accordingly. If you’re still quoting fulfillment and shipping times from 2019, update these immediately, and be transparent with your customers–a longer-but-more-accurate quoted time will result in fewer upset customers and fewer refunds and negative reviews.
Remember: shoppers are using all available channels
If 2020 was the year that online shopping truly took over, 2021 is a reset to a new equilibrium. With more stores back open and customers more cognizant than ever of shipping’s perceived unreliability, consumers are flooding back to brick-and-mortar stores for their holiday shopping. The data bear this out: only 14% of consumers in the US intend on not shopping in-store at all this holiday season, so if you have a physical storefront, be prepared for the holiday rush you may not have seen in 2020!
Having said this, buyers are also not abandoning digital shopping either. 70% of consumers report using online resources in some way during their holiday shopping process, whether it be using shopping apps, price-checking online, purchasing online for in-store pick up, or a multitude of other digital possibilities. The key takeaway is that in 2021, every channel you offer to customers needs to be polished to perfection because shoppers are using them all.
Don’t be afraid of the “big ask”
Another big news topic this holiday season is the money in the pockets of shoppers. From stimulus checks to unemployment bonus savings to the huge influx of investment by “regular” people, Americans, by and large, have money and aren’t afraid to spend it. Don’t underestimate what your customers are willing to spend, and don’t be afraid to market big-ticket items or up-sell in ways you might not have otherwise considered.
When it comes to marketing, framing can be everything, and small details can make a big difference. For example, if you’re non-profit soliciting donations or a restaurant selling gift cards, focusing your marketing copy and assets on larger dollar amounts can result in higher returns simply by “priming the pump” in the minds of eager consumers.
This is not to advocate for any type of price-gouging: with inflation on the minds of many people, raising prices beyond what you have to can and will be noticed, and the last thing you want is to risk losing the trust of your customers. But by subtly directing shoppers to particularly high-return profit centers, you can maximize what you’re making this holiday season.
Leverage your customer loyalty
With so many consumers looking to spend so much money and willing to go anywhere and everywhere to find what they need, now is a better time than ever before to leverage customer loyalty to bring back repeat customers. Whether this takes the form of implementing traditional loyalty programs (especially easy with new digital technology), retargeting online ads to your existing customer base, or encouraging your biggest fans to help you win new fans through referrals, the 2021 holidays are the perfect time to bring back old customers and gain some new ones in the process.
If you need help navigating this new holiday shopping landscape, integrating new digital options into your sales (or refining the options you have), or reaching your current customers in the most effective manner possible, Skol Marketing’s team is here to help. If you’d prefer one-on-one guidance or would like to discuss how we can help turbo-charge your holiday marketing, please don’t hesitate to contact the local digital marketing experts at Skol Marketing.
