Most eCommerce companies make nearly 40% of their annual sales during the 8 weeks leading up to Christmas Day. So, with only 180 days left until the Big Day you’ll need to start planning your eCommerce holiday strategy this summer to be ready to start your November 1st Christmas holiday marketing campaign.
That means you only have 17.5 weeks left to get all your details planned and produced for all your Christmas advertising kickoff in November.
Your holiday campaign is actually 10-weeks long (when you include Boxing Week). It has different phases which mean different strategies and marketing messages to different target markets. You’re going to need a eCommerce marketing strategy.
Why You Need a Holiday Marketing Strategy
Do you want to risk missing 40% of your sales year? Of course not! Your holiday goal should be a ‘full throttle’ approach to making as much money as possible. So you will need a detailed roadmap that is designed to maximize your sales and achieve your business goals.
So how do you get one of these roadmaps? If you have any marketing chops, you can try to write it yourself. But, a freelance marketing strategist with proven experience achieving retail and/or eCommerce sales goals over the holiday season is a good investment. A good marketing strategist will pay for themselves in the additional revenue they can bring in.
A holiday campaign marketing strategy is a detailed and customized “living” document that includes a current analysis based on economic climate, competitive environment and a deep dive audit of your current business including website, branding, marketing materials, pricing and more. Most importantly, it defines your marketing and business goals with detailed recommendations on how to achieve those goals over the holiday period.
If you give yourself lots of planning time, your Christmas roadmap should be completed and ready by Labour Day.
Next Step: Follow the Roadmap to Success
Once you have a solid strategy in place, you’ll need to start implementing the tactics set out in the document in September. Prepare your holiday inventory orders, have a photo shoot for holiday-specific imagery and get your website in shape for the 10-week marathon it’s about to have. September is the time to get your SEO and blog content posted too – so that it has enough time to propagate and rank well during the holiday period.
You can DIY the tactical implementation yourself but your freelance marketing strategist is likely a fractional CMO who will want to see their vision for your holiday advertising though. A fractional CMO can lead your holiday marketing implementation smoothly and efficiently on a few hours of work a week.
And once November arrives, all of your preparation and planning will make the hustle of the holiday D2C marketing season a breeze! All you (or your fractional CMO) have to do is follow the plan set out in your marketing strategy. A marketing strategy is a ‘living’ document which means if you hit roadblocks to achieving your goals, you adjust and document so you have learnings for next year.
A well thought out holiday marketing strategy will pay for itself many times over. It involves critical thinking based on your specific business – so please don’t leave it to AI. Use a professional eCommerce marketing strategist/CMO like Kelle at RainMaker Ventures to help you make 40% of your year’s sales over the Christmas shopping season.
And if you’re reading this blog in October, don’t panic. Contact us because we can fast-track an eCommerce marketing strategy for you.
Contact kelle@rainmakerventures.ca for your customized quote.