The holiday season can sneak up on the best of us, but there's no need to panic. With a little guidance and a sprinkle of creativity, you can still craft a holiday campaign that dazzles and delights. From setting realistic goals to measuring success, I’ve got you covered. 

Setting Realistic Goals for Your Holiday Campaign

First, let’s get real for a moment. Planning a holiday campaign last minute might feel like trying to giftwrap a cat —chaotic, lots of wrangling and completely illogical. I mean who does that? And who plans their holiday campaign at the beginning of November?

But fear not! The key here is setting realistic goals. Ask yourself, what do you want to achieve? More sales, increased engagement, or perhaps brand awareness? Once you know your destination, map out the steps you'll need to get there. Remember, it's okay to start small. 

Identifying Your Target Audience for Holiday Promotions

Now that we've got some goals in mind, let's talk about who you're actually trying to reach. Imagine your ideal customer—what do they look like? What keeps them up at night? Like anything else in your business, understanding your audience is like knowing the secret ingredient to your favourite holiday recipe. And if you’re going to have everything come together (ahem - especially last minute), you have to know exactly who you’re selling to. 

Dive into your customer data, use social media insights, or outright ask you email list what they’d like to see from you. The more you know, the better you can tailor your campaign to hit the mark.

Crafting Compelling Holiday Offers

Who doesn't love a good holiday deal? But here's the trick: your offer needs to be compelling enough to make your audience stop scrolling and start clicking. Yes, you have to think about what makes your product or service special. And offering a heavy discount will likely get you some sales, if everyone else is also offering 75% off their products, what is going to help you stand out?

I’ve seen some great marketing campaigns lately that completely colour outside the box and focus on the customer experience of the sale itself, not just the discount you offer. So don’t be afraid to ge completely creative with you offers.

Timing and Scheduling Your Holiday Campaigns

Timing is everything, especially during the holiday season. You wouldn't serve turkey in July, would you? The same goes for your campaign. Plan out when and where your promotions will run. Consider building momentum before your sale even drops.

Next, map out those key dates and events that are relevant to your audience. Create a schedule that outlines each step, from the initial launch to the final follow-up. This way, you'll be able to keep things on track and avoid any last-minute hiccups.

Create an Action Plan

Once you have your schedule in place, you need to set up your back-end systems. I like to work backwards from the end and map out all the tasks that I need to complete on my calendar. All the marketing is crucial for you campaigns, but you also need to make sure your back-end is TIGHT during the holidays (no, this does not mean you’re doing squats in a corner somewhere).

You want to make sure that all your landing pages, sales pages, workflow automations and delivery systems are all in place and tested BEFORE launch day. Depending on how much lead time I have, I leave at least 2 days buffer to ensure that any last minute glitches are worked out. 

Keep an Eye on Your Metrics

Alright, you've launched your campaign—now what? You’re going to want to keep an eye out on your metrics while your sale is playing out. Keeping an eye on your website traffic and sales, specifically to your shop or landing pages, will give you key insights into how successful your campaign is. If any thing seems slightly misaligned, you can swoop in and tweak or fix the issue before it becomes a complete bomb. 

After your campaign, it's time to measure your success, and it’s important to look at not just overall success, but trends as well. Which days saw the most traffic vs the most sales? Was it pretty steady sales day to day, or were there peaks and valleys in the timeline? What could you have done better to get more traction earlier on? What worked out really well?

I highly recommend writing up all your observations in a post-campaign report, even if you’re the only one who’s going to look at it. A lot can happen in a year, and digging back through last year’s metrics 8-10 months later can often be more difficult and all your ideas have gone stale. Having a quick reference will ensure you’re on the ball come next holiday season.

Remember that a well-executed campaign is less about perfection and more about connection. By setting clear goals, understanding your audience, crafting compelling offers, and keeping a close eye on your metrics, you can create a campaign that not only boosts your bottom line but also strengthens your brand's relationship with your customers.