Christmas is almost here and you’re probably rushing around for the last minute Chrissy campaign blitz. Salmat’s David Blakers has found nine Christmas-themed ways to get your campaign over the line.
Christmas is arguably the busiest and most stressful time of year – getting your marketing campaigns organised, your decorations up and ensuring you are prepared for the mad last-minute rush is enough to make you despise that man in the red suit.
In case you were (somehow) unaware, Christmas is just over two weeks away so put the finishing touches on your customer engagement campaign for the festive season (and beyond). Here are Santa’s nine reindeer trends and tips to get your sleigh going this Christmas:
Rudolf – guide consumers to your campaign with multi-channel marketing.
It is no longer enough to just buy advertising space in a magazine or on TV. If you want to engage new and existing customers and create a strong, ongoing relationship with them you need to spread your message across multiple channels to ensure it is being reinforced.
Maximise the impact of your campaign by combining different channels, such as display advertising with search engine marketing, and use the right mix of online and advertising. This allows you to increase campaign awareness and generate a solid return on investment.
Dasher – strengthen consumer engagement with direct communication.
For strong audience engagement and fast results, direct marketing is an effective means of getting your message to your specific target market.
Email marketing is a proven winner when it comes to engagement. Bankwest research revealed more than 60% of Australian consumers believe emails are a great marketing tool, provided the content is relevant to them.
Consider the value of your mobile marketing database. According to research by UK-based mobile insight specialists MobileSquared, around 90% of all SMS are opened and read within three minutes and have considerably higher open rates, click-through and conversation rates than email and web, making SMS one of the strongest direct marketing tools.
Dancer – don’t underestimate the power of prize promotions.
Consumers like winning, so having a prize incentive in your campaign will attract attention. Prize promotions drive direct response to boost your audience and can provide strong brand engagement. They also require the consumer to provide their personal details so they are a very effective tool to build and update your marketing database.
Get the right advice around government regulations for chance-based promotions to ensure your campaign terms and conditions meet legal requirements. It can be a difficult process waltzing around the different state-based regulations.
Prancer – reward brand advocates and highly engaged consumers.
Christmas is all about being kind to those you love. Say thank you to customers who heavily engage with your campaign by offering additional rewards and discounts to grow brand loyalty. It’s crucial to know who your brand advocates are and to treat them as VIPs.
Vixen – understand your customers.
There is nothing worse than a brand that makes you feel like you are just part of the crowd. Everyone wants to feel important so ensure your communication is organic and personal.
Targeted marketing, such as letterbox, email and mobile advertising, lets you tailor content for specific audiences based on information you have on them. If you can segment your target audience into groups based on certain attributes – demographic, hobbies, age, purchase behaviour, etc. – you can centre your marketing around these distinguishing factors. It makes your customers feel like you have a better understanding of them and personalises their connection with your brand.
Comet – plan your overall trajectory and end goal.
The most important part of your campaign is knowing what you want to achieve. Set yourself realistic success metrics and from there plan how best to achieve them. You can’t always achieve everything at once so plan efficiently and outline your critical focus areas.
Once you have the customer’s attention, what is your end goal? If your campaign generates thousands of Facebook likes, what will you do with your new followers? Don’t forget your overarching campaign objectives, and make sure you also consider long-term engagement with your customers.
Cupid – build a relationship with your customers.
Often tactical campaigns attract attention at the start but the love tends to fades towards the end. Don’t let your marketing campaign be a one night stand.
Use your campaign to build an ongoing customer relationship. Get contact information from your customers when you engage with them. If they give you their email or mobile number, send them an immediate thank you while the love is still new.
Donner – avoid common campaign mistakes.
There are just three things to remember to help avoid most campaign mistakes:
- Keep it simple – complicated campaigns which consumers don’t understand are a sure-fire way to lose a customer
- Keep it convenient – multi-channel marketing makes engaging with customers convenient for both you and them
- Keep it appealing – if the content is dull or you haven’t tailored it to your audience, they won’t engage with it
Blitzen – evaluate your campaign.
Evaluation is critical, not only for the success of your campaign but for future campaigns as well.
If you are using online advertising, access your real-time stats to review progress and assess if your campaign is performing to expectation, or if it can be improved. Make sure you have the control to optimise your campaigns by monitoring, analysing and actioning insights generated by your SEM and display campaigns.
It’s not too late to start implementing some of these marketing tips before the bells really start jingling. They are simple and effective ways of engaging with your customers and growing your brand this coming Christmas period so consider where they could fit with your business.
David Blakers is executive general manager, digital at Salmat.
