Last Minute Holiday Ads Strategy

Ways to show you care this holiday season.

Colette Nataf
Lightning Growth
4 min readDec 21, 2021

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E-Commerce sales are expected to hit 4.2 trillion by the end of 2021, with a considerable portion of those sales stemming from mobile shopping trends. Since the peak of consumer spending happens during the holiday season, marketers must dedicate sufficient time and resources toward developing high-performance Instagram ads that reach target audiences. If not, your brand could easily falter and slip through the cracks during this competitive time of year. Now that holiday season is fully underway, here are some last minute holiday ad strategies to build momentum before it’s too late.

Show appreciation to consumers

Though recent reports reveal Americans plan to spend big this holiday season, inflation concerns continue to weigh on every household across the nation. Show both new and longstanding consumers that you appreciate their business with a simple act of kindness. Send a thank you email, handwritten note, free sample, or even discount offer for future purchases. The fact of the matter is consumers will be glad they spent their money with your business and be more inclined to maintain that loyalty throughout the new year.

Image source: Zendesk

Email marketing

During the holiday season, consumers are always looking for the best deals possible. While shopping online, they can compare sites and look for businesses that offer the biggest bang for their buck. It’s the reason why shopping cart abandonment is so common nowadays. In fact, up to 80% of consumer shopping carts are left in the dust. The problem is — how do you get your target audience to choose your brand over the competition? That’s where email marketing can help. Small businesses, specifically clothing brands, face some of the toughest obstacles during the holiday season because it’s hard to compete with big name companies with deep pocket marketing budgets.

Email marketing has shown to work in favor of all business types, effectively allowing you to reach your target audience at the right time. Not only that, this holiday ad strategy is proven to:

  • Generate traffic to your website
  • Improve overall sales
  • Gain customer feedback
  • Allow low-cost ad campaigns

With Q4 costs at an all-time high, your brand can utilize email marketing at any point in time. It just so happens to be one of the top approaches to keeping customer engagement levels consistent throughout the busiest time of year.

Design festive ad campaigns

If you focus on pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, chances are you want a mighty return on your investment. When the holidays approach, the best way to optimize engagement is to get on board with the times. Incorporate holiday content that generates a level of excitement for consumer spending. This includes anything from festive visuals to ad copy with holiday buzzwords. You might even want to customize your holiday ad strategy by featuring holiday-themed products. For example, a retail brand could offer an exclusive Christmas pajama set for limited release. This holiday cheer is a great way to amp up consumer interest. What’s more, a content-driven approach has a way of pulling at the heartstrings of consumers when the holidays come around.

Pay close attention to website usability

Around 76% of U.S. adults shop online, which means online accessibility is continually important. Make sure your website is user-friendly and professional this holiday season to enhance the consumer experience. A website with good usability has the potential to improve customer acquisition and keep loyal customers satisfied. Statistics show that 44% of website visitors will leave a businesses’ website if contact information is not clearly listed. Therefore, even the simplest detail could persuade consumers to leave your web page.

On top of that, it’s vital to err on the side of simplicity. Consumers don’t want complex user experiences that are frustrating to engage with. They want quick and straightforward logistics that make buying online a breeze. Think beautiful images, quick loading speeds, and easy navigation that won’t inflict the holiday blues.

Get started with Lightning AI today!

If you’re hoping to make the most out of your holiday ads strategy, Lightning AI can help get you there. We quickly examine your current data, including audiences, interest groups, and focal keywords, to then narrow down your best performing target groups. In a matter of minutes, we’ll have your brand pointed in the right direction and help you fully optimize this holiday season. Contact us to get started!

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Colette Nataf
Lightning Growth

CEO @LightningAI, Demand Gen @Intercom, User Acquisition @MileIQ (acquired by Microsoft). Changing marketing through data science.