Ahead of the upcoming holiday season, it’s helpful to look back at 2022 and understand critical patterns and factors that moved the needle for consumers. When analyzing last year’s trends and data, one thing is clear: online shopping continues to take a leading role.
In 2022, consumers spent $211.7 billion online from November 1 to December 31, growing 3.5% year-over-year. Black Friday alone raked in a record $9.12 billion in online sales. While online shopping grows in importance, consumers are also diversifying where and how they shop online.
Diversified media habits mean more avenues to reach shoppers and more work for advertisers to find the right tactics to reach shoppers. To help navigate the ever-changing digital media landscape, we’ve identified three key strategies you can be sure will reach online shoppers this holiday season.
1. Reach Consumers while they Shop Online with Retail Media Networks
Take advantage of targeting shoppers who are actively browsing and shopping online with Retail Media Networks (RMNs). RMNs use proprietary first-party, deterministic data to reach consumers throughout the online buying journey.
They provide advertisers with high-quality ad placements making the path to purchase quick and seamless. Even better, most retail media networks will allow their data to be used across multiple formats such as connected TV, audio, banners, video, and native. This allows advertisers to reach their audience throughout the day while they continue to finalize their holiday gifts.
2. Consumers are busy, make it as easy as possible for them
The holidays aren’t just a busy time for advertisers, everyone is flooded with events, parties, shopping, planning, and more. It’s increasingly important for brands to make the shopping experience as seamless and personalized as possible for consumers. In fact, 80% of shoppers are more likely to buy from a company that offers personalized experiences.
While not every brand can afford to offer personalized discounts, coupons, and free shipping, consider how you can tailor ads to make your consumers feel valued. Here are some ways we suggest personalizing your ads:
- For businesses with brick-and-mortar locations, consider a hyperlocal approach. Ad copy such as “pick up yours at our Springfield Store location” or “20% off purchases made this weekend at our Downtown Smithfield store” streamlines the path to purchase. Shoppers appreciate a personalized ad experience tailored specifically to them, but it also reassures them that you carry the exact product they are looking to purchase.
- If targeting more than one audience, include the specific audience in the creative. Don’t rely on generic copy and imagery, rather catch their eye with relatable creatives. If you target families, include the proper images or video. If you are targeting Gen Z, use language that speaks directly to them. Slight variance in ad creative can make a drastic difference in catching the right consumer’s attention.
- Because consumers are shelling out major dollars during this time of year, they’ll be looking for deals and savings wherever they can find them. If your business is able to, offer a discount code or special offer for your audience geared specifically for the holiday season. This helps assure consumers you sympathize with the economic impact the holiday season can have on their wallets.
3. Measure your Campaigns and Tailor Your Strategy Along the Way
The holiday season spans much longer than the Black Friday to Cyber Monday weekend. With three months of browsing and buying, one of the most important strategies advertisers can implement are quality measurement solutions.
These tools enable advertisers to track data such as impressions, conversions, in-store foot traffic, online sales, offline sales, and brand lift. With access to live, up-to-date data, you can quickly shift attention and budget toward strategies and audiences of the most value and move away from strategies that aren’t working as well. There’s no use in continuing to invest in a channel or tactic that isn’t seeing the results you need, so a measurement solution gives you the insight to ensure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.
Have a Holly Jolly Holiday Season with Digilant’s Holiday Shopping Solutions
The right combination of media tactics can make all the difference in reaching consumers during the holidays or missing the mark and losing out to the competition. Interested in learning about how to tailor these digital media strategies to make an impact this holiday season? Our media strategists are ready to create a custom, tailored solution to achieve your brand’s goals. Contact us today to get started building your holiday shopping media plan.