3. Choose rewards over profits
One of the biggest mistakes marketers can make planning and executing holiday marketing campaigns is over-promoting. Yes, this is retail’s busiest period, and a significant portion of annual sales occur in Q4. However, marketers will find more success engaging consumers by adding valuable content in addition to the promotional messages. Customers are more receptive to the hard-sell messages if they are aware that not every email they receive is going to be a promotion.
The Marriott Rewards campaign is another great example of this. Instead of urging the customer to book another hotel room, their year-in-review campaign focused on the member’s accomplishments and experience with the brand. Emails included carefully-curated, vivid photography and celebratory messaging that highlighted the achievements of the member, such as how many nights stayed with Marriott, which cities were visited, how many points were earned and more. These experience based messages serve as a reminder of the valuable service a brand can provide a dedicated customer.
The holidays are a chaotic time for everyone. To stand out, marketers need to think of their customers—what content they’ll find valuable and on which channels they’ll want to see those messages. Prioritizing customer engagement over sales will positively affect revenue in the long run.
Steve True is director of sales strategy at Yes Lifecycle Marketing.
Related articles:
Holiday Marketing Checklist for Enhancing Customer Advocacy
Pinterest Rings in Holiday Marketing Campaigns: Infographic
Starbucks Drops its Maligned Holiday Red Cups in Favor of Customer Creations
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