Marketing During the Holidays
According to the National Retail Federation, the winter holiday shopping season starts in early November and runs all the way through December. This broad span offers multiple sales opportunities, from Back Friday and Cyber Monday, before Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Video can play a major role in promoting those sales.
Whether you want to boost your holiday marketing this winter or you want to start planning ahead for next season's shopping extravaganzas, you'll benefit from a solid understanding of how video can aid these efforts. Give serious thought to the following holiday video marketing strategies, suggestions, and insights.
Holiday Videos for Different Platforms and Audiences
Before you leap into creating any kind of holiday marketing video, you must think about your choice of video platform. In addition to traditional media such as television and radio, today's businesses have a wealth of online platforms at their fingertips, from streaming video services to social media channels.
Different media sources tend to appeal to different age groups and cultures. Variety lists Netflix, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok as the most popular media sources among individuals aged 15 to 29. The 45-to-59 demographic overwhelmingly prefers Facebook and Netflix, followed by the four major television networks.
The age demographic of your target audience may also determine how many platforms or channels you use for your holiday marketing videos. Younger viewers tend to use a wider variety of media sources than older ones. By contrast, you might only need to post a senior-oriented video on a few different television channels.
Holiday Videos for Specific Days
Perhaps the most obvious use of holiday marketing involves the use of the medium to advertise sales for specific dates. If you want to claim your share of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday, or other holiday sales revenue, you may need to create multiple videos and promote them aggressively.
Don't overlook the potential value of a holiday greeting video. While a video wishing your audience a happy Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year may not drive immediate sales to your door, it can reinforce your brand as a friendly, benevolent presence. The warm feelings generated may build both trust and future revenue.
Holiday Videos for Off-Season Marketing
Not every industry or profession thrives during the winter holiday season. For instance, real estate agents typically regard this time of year as the worst time to buy or sell a home. Fewer listings limit buyers' options, while the cold weather and holiday distractions create challenges for sellers.
Video can give seasonally weak markets a welcome boost in several ways. Using the real estate example noted above, you might post videos that offer tips for buyers seeking to optimize their home sale chances. If you cater to buyers, you might create a video that helps those buyers focus on the latest home listings.
Off-season marketing videos can also shift the focus to reputation building and thought leadership. Consider posting online videos that showcase your company's skills, knowledge, and industry status. These videos can help reinforce the power of your brand, build trust, and keep your business visible during the quiet months.
Holiday Videos and Seasonal Events
Holidays present numerous opportunities for events as well as sales. For instance, your business may host an annual holiday party that brings employees and prized clients together, or it may participate in charitable public events such as food or gift drives. The right video strategy can ensure a robust turnout for such events.
Your holiday event videos can strengthen your business long after the event itself has passed. Consider the value of covering the event itself on video, from footage of the activities to interviews with key guests and hosts. You can assemble this video into a promotional piece that emphasizes your community involvement.
Holiday Videos That Inspire Good Cheer
The holiday season can prove both joyful and stressful for your target audience. Consumers overwhelmed by shopping, party planning, and tense times with relatives will probably appreciate any video that brings a smile or helps them feel more relaxed. They may also remember and appreciate the brand behind that video.
If you've ever liked the idea of using light-hearted, humorous videos to promote your company, the holiday season offers a golden opportunity to put this strategy into effect. The season itself presents many tropes and clichés that lend themselves to comedy and good-natured parody, from gift-giving mistakes to oversized holiday meals.
Holiday videos also give your business the chance to empathize with individuals who struggle in various ways during the holiday season. Consider creating a warm-hearted piece that focuses on holiday values and a spirit of goodwill. You might even comment sympathetically on the specific tensions experienced by audiences during the holidays.
If you want to make video marketing a key part of your happy holiday as a business, turn to the video marketing specialists at Colormatics. Our experienced team can discuss strategy with you and create the ideal video promotions to help you ride the retail wave during this profitable time. Contact us today.
