We hope the back-to-school period went well for you & your company, we’re here to help you look forward to the next best thing.. the holiday season!
Let’s Talk Business While The Kids Are Gone
The school bell has rung and the school term has started, white shirts, black shoes and pencil cases galore! Summer campaigns, school campaigns… We have left them all behind. It is the beginning of a new era which is full of successive special days: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, and so on. Hence aptly known as “holiday season”. Big opportunities are about to knock your door!
Let’s talk about numbers of 2017. According to Bing, 85% of the shoppers used their mobile devices to help them shopping. While the back-to-school period has ended now, all serious companies trying to improve their market share in this highly competitive industry is looking forward to the Halloween period.
Halloween marks the start of the “holidays” period, as it is shortly followed by the Thanksgiving (Black Friday & Cyber Monday), Christmas and New Years’ shopping frenzies. It is in itself a behemoth in terms of spending as in 2017 consumers have spent a whopping $9.1 billion.
That Is Good To Know But Who Should I Target
You might expect the older part of the population out there to spend the big bucks (or quids if you living on the other side of the pond) but in reality, it is the younger part. On average, Millennials are spending $183 while their parents, Gen X spends $70 on average per person during the Halloween period. Costumes make up the most of this spending, as in 2017 men and women have spent on average $96 and $77 respectively on their costumes.
Confection comes in second place which indicates the change from traditional ways of celebrations like a trick-or-treating to more adult tailored events like parties and other kinds of social gatherings.
As you might expect, spending on decorations comes up next, as the battles for the best-decorated house in the neighborhoods of the US rage on.
How Can I Outshine My Competitors In This Hotly Contested and Overly Competitive Market During Holiday Season?
That is a good question and its answer is a long one. Basically, it depends on what you are selling. One thing is common for everyone though, and that is you need to position your brand and your company well ahead of time.
In 2017, Halloween started to affect search behaviors by the end of August, August! This early period is extremely important if you want to increase the gap between your competitors and yourself, so it is crucial to capture this first wave of interest and channel it to your brands and company.
Bear in mind though, you will not see the results of your early marketing campaign immediately. 76% of all e-commerce shipments happen in October. So, plan your marketing campaign to start 6 to 8 weeks earlier and be ready for last second customers. And don’t forget, on average women tend to shop earlier than men, but men spend more.
As mentioned before, consumers are turning to their mobile phones from search to purchase, more than 50% of online shopping happens in either tablets or smartphones, you risk 50% of your sales if you aren’t present in these mediums. If you are present there, make sure your app is easy to navigate in, and that it doesn’t need a signup straightaway and easily navigable by using just one finger. Also, give the check-out process a special touch and make it as easy as possible.
Make Your CTA Irresistible
You should incorporate flash discounts and other promotions in your mobile marketing efforts; banners, interactive ads and interstitials that explicitly display percentages off on holiday-themed items. Give your customers a reason to download your app! But that is next to useless if you are lacking in terms of customer traffic. Actually, all the points in this article will be of no use if no one is aware of your app. This is where we come in as App Samurai. Create your flash discount creatives and start now to get ahead of everyone. We welcome all kinds of costumes except mobile ad fraud costumes, we seriously hate it. No tricks here only treats. Sign up and let our highly skilled group of success specialists do the rest for you!
Wishing you a happy Halloween with your loved ones! 🎃