Winning Marketing Strategies for the Holiday Shopping Season

:Effective marketing strategies for the upcoming holiday shopping season include the following:

1. Utilize short-form videos.

The competition for the best online experience is accelerating as consumers become increasingly selective about how they spend their time online. With time being a limited resource, it's crucial for brands to ensure that consumers get the most value from their online experience.

Short video formats, such as TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels, are perfect for capturing the attention of consumers and delivering engaging content in a short amount of time.

2. Leverage user-generated content (UGC).

Motivate consumers to create holiday season-related content with your product. Buy out the rights for this content and use it to generate new sales through social media channels.

3. Partner with influencers.

Sixty-nine percent of shoppers between 25-34 years old are turning to influencers as their go-to sources for shopping inspiration for holiday gifts. In a world of no cookies, artificial images, and deep fakes, consumers are becoming more mistrustful of the information they see online, which makes the people-to-people approach more valuable than ever.

For example, Disney stands as one of the most widely recognized media and entertainment giants. In its campaign to raise awareness about Disney+ and Hallowstream, Disney collaborated with a talented stop-motion animator, @samplertimes, to produce a brief, engaging TikTok video. Here are some creative ways to tap into the power of influencers:

• Share special codes: Influencers can creatively incorporate special codes with promotions into their content, making it more engaging and less intrusive than traditional advertising. You can give a creative and meaningful name to this code so that it associates with your brand and product. By doing so you ensure visibility in social media of your brand through mentions and reposts.
• Holiday 'Pass the Parcel': An interesting idea for brands during holidays is to launch a "Holiday Pass the Parcel." This idea involves creating a chain of influencers, with each one unwrapping a layer and revealing something related to the brand, like a captivating brand story, a product highlight, or an exclusive special offer. They then pass it on to another influencer to unwrap the next layer. The final unwrap could be something like a giveaway or even an exclusive deal.
• Interactive gift guide: Another engaging approach is to team up with influencers and craft an "Interactive Gift Inspiration" campaign. In this concept, each influencer could curate a unique list of gift recommendations tailored to a specific theme or budget range. They would then host live Q&A sessions on social media, where they engage with their audience, answer questions, and offer personalized gift suggestions based on the viewers' preferences. This interactive approach provides valuable real-time engagement and thoughtful guidance to shoppers seeking the perfect holiday gifts.
• Live events: Organize a livestream where influencers share their tips and advice about holiday season gift ideas and their favorite presents. During the livestream an influencer may give an overview of your product and share a special offer which will be exclusive to the audience. Don't forget to embed a shoppable link in the livestream to generate sales.
• Product or service review: Influencers are viewed as authentic and credible by their followers. When influencers provide honest reviews of a product or service, it carries the weight of a trusted recommendation, helping to build trust between the brand and potential customers. Ensure that reviews contain the usage experience and key benefits of your product in connection with the holiday season.
• Advance planning: Thirty percent of influencers are starting to plan their content for the holiday shopping season in September. To catch the best influencer, brands should start planning their holiday campaigns now.

Regina Tsvyrova is the chief operating officer of HypeFactory, a global influencer marketing agency that uses advanced analytics to create engaging influencer-driven marketing campaigns.