RETAIL’S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO h lIDaY plAnniNg · 2018-05-25 · INFLUENCER MARKETING 15 ... • UGC best practices 22 • Reviews 22 • FAQ 22 • User-generated campaigns 22 •

RETAIL’S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO

h lIDaY plAnniNg

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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CHAPTER 1: STARTING ON TIME IS STARTING EARLY 03• Abiggerplayground 03

• Planningoutthecomplexity 03

• E-commerceindustrytrends 04

• Impressions 04

• Holidayshoppingtrends 04

• CPMsandCPCs 04

• Theimportanceoftesting 06

• Relationshipbuilding 06

CHAPTER 2: HOLIDAY PLANNING ANALYSIS 07• Metricstoimprovethesuccessofyourads 07

• Metricstoimproveyourbusiness’sbottomline08

• Segmentation 09

CHAPTER 3: OPTIMIZING THE USER EXPERIENCE 10• Reducingyourbouncerate 10

• Optimizingyourretailpages 11

• Creatingasmoothercheckoutfunnel 11

• Reducingcartabandonment 12

• Getstartednow 12

CHAPTER 4: GROWING YOUR CUSTOMER BASE 13• Reachingnewusers 13

• Acquiringnewusersearly 13

• UsingAdRollProspecting 14

• CaseStudy:ShiekhShoes 14

CHAPTER 5: HOW TO START WITH INFLUENCER MARKETING 15• Thestateofinfluencermarketing 15

• 5examplesofinfluencerholidaymarketing 15

-OldNavy 15

-Hallmark 16

-Amazon 16

-Starbucks 17

-OriginalGrain 17

• Settingupaninfluenceroutreachprogram 18

• Thetemplate 18

• Thecreativebrief 19

• Trackingsuccess 20

CHAPTER 6: USER GENERATED CONTENT 21• User-generatedcontentredefined 21

• UGCbestpractices 22

• Reviews 22

• FAQ 22

• User-generatedcampaigns 22

• Promoteyouruserreviews 22

• Socialpromotion 23

• Collectingcreativecontent 23

CONCLUSIONS AND TAKEAWAYS 24• Theholidaycalendarandheatmap

• Theholidaychecklist

• Authors 25

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CHAPTER 1: STARTING ON TIME IS STARTING EARLY

A BIGGER PLAYGROUNDFormostretailers,theholidaysareafrenziedrushofjugglingmultiplecampaigns,meetingrevenuegoals,andhittingloftynumbersbeforetheyearisup.It’sfarfromarelaxingtimeofyear.

Theholidayseasonhasbecomecriticallyimportanttoonlineretailers.WiththeriseofBlackFriday,SmallBusinessSaturday,CyberMonday,GreenMonday,SuperSaturday,andBoxingDay,thedefinitionof“theholidays”hasexpandedsubstantially.Whiletheseretaildayshavehelpeddistributetheholidayrushacrossawiderrange,they’vealsomadeholidaycampaignplanningfarmorecomplex.

Expandingdigitalchannels,suchasmobileandsocialmedia,haveaddedtotheimmenseopportunitiesthattheholidaysprovide.Justlastyear,mobileaccountedfor50.3%ofalle-commercetraffic,surpasseddesktoptrafficforthefirsttimeever.Knowingthis,itshouldn’tbeasurprisethat38%ofshoppersnowsaytheywillnotreturntoaretailer’swebsiteifit’snotmobileoptimized.

PLANNING OUT THE COMPLEXITYThedigitalholidaylandscapehasbecomemorecomplexbutwherethereiscomplexity,thereisopportunity.E-commerceretailerswhothinkahead,canbenefitenormouslyfromthedigitalopportunitiesthatarebeingopenedtothem.

The first and most important steptowardtakingadvantageofthisgrowingdigitallandscapeisgettinganearlystart.MostSMBretailersbegintheirholidayplanningaroundOctoberorNovember,whilemostbig-boxstoresstartasearlyasJuneorJuly.Kickingthingsoffsoonerishelpful,especiallybecauseconsumersarepurchasingholidaygiftsearlierthantheyeverhavebefore.

Thefollowingsectionswillgointodetailonhowtoloweryourcost(s)perthousandimpressions(CPMs),improveyourconversionrates,andstreamlineyourentireholidaycampaignprocess.And,tomakesureeverythinghereisasactionableaspossible,we’vealsoaddedsomecustomtools—includingcalendars,heatmaps,andchecklists—thatwillreducethenoiseandcomplexityoftheholidayseason.

25%ofshopperssaidtheydidsomeholidayshoppingbeforeHalloween.

49%ofe-commercemarketerswillhavecreatedandlaunchedaholidaymarketingcampaignbeforeHalloween.

25% 49%

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E-COMMERCE INDUSTRY TRENDSWhilemostmarketersunderstandtheimportanceofholidaycampaigns,manyarestillunsureastohowtheyperformduringthemonthsleadinguptothenewyear.Toshedsomelightonthis,wedidadeepdiveintoourowndata.

Inorderformarketerstorunsuccessfulholidaycampaigns,theyshouldlooktosecurealargepoolofcookiedusers.Thesecookiesarewhatenablemarketerstotargetthem.

IMPRESSIONSInordertorunsuccessfulholidaycampaigns,marketerswillneedlargepoolsofcookiedusers.AgreatwaytoensurethatyouhavethisaudienceistofocusonputtingmorebudgetbehindyourprospectingcampaignsinAugustandSeptember.Thiswillgrowyouraudiencesothatyoucanretargetthemlaterintheyear.Contrarytopopularbelief,thenumberofadimpressionsservedishigheracrossallindustriesduringthesemonthsthanattheendoftheyear—evendippingslightlyforretailersinDecember.

Whileprospectingisshowntohelpmarketers’holidaycampaignswhenimplementedinthesummermonths,itisalsocrucialduringtheholidayseason.Whenlookingatourinternaldata,wenoticedthatmarketerswhoranprospectingandretargetingcampaignssimultaneouslyinNovembersaw32%moreimpressionsservedthanmarketerswhoranretargetingalone.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING TRENDSEveryretailershouldhavetheirholidaycampaignsupandrunningbythetimeOctoberhits.Whileitmaystillfeellikefall,theNationalRetailFoundationreportsthatover40%ofpeopleplantobegintheirshoppingbyOctober,withover12%planningtobeginbeforeSeptemberevenrollsaround.OctoberisalsothelastmonthtotakeadvantageofcheaperCPMs,withNovemberseeing18%higherratesthanjustthemonthbefore.

CPMS AND CPCSIt’snosecretthatdigitalmarketingpricesbegintoriseduringthefinalmonthsoftheyear—andcompetitionforadspaceisfierce.WithBlackFriday,SmallBusinessSaturday,andCyberMondayalltakingplaceinNovember,everymarketerisoutforapieceoftheretailpie.

CPMsslowlyriseandtheaveragecostperclick(CPC)canjumpover20%—ormoreduringBlackFriday—fromjustacouplemonthsprior.However,thatdoesn’tchangethefactthatthisisstillthebesttimeforreaching,andconverting,interestedholidayshoppers.Toensureyourproductsaregettinginfrontofthecustomersyoucareaboutthemost,remembertoincreaseyourbudgetssothatyoucanbeatoutthecompetition.

September

September

17%

18%

21%

25%

October

October

3%

15%

8%

23%

August

August

19%

21%

23%

29%

November

November

5%

9%

Afterdivingintothedata,wenoticedsometrendsthatsurprisedusandsomethatreaffirmedlong-heldbeliefs.Whatdidn’tsurpriseusisthatNovemberandDecemberstillreignsupremewhenitcomestoonlinemarketing.Click-throughrates(CTRs)skyrocketduringBlackFridayandholdsteadythroughtheendoftheyear.Inaddition,themajorityofAmericanswon’tstarttheirholidayshoppinguntilDecember.However,whenyoucouplethiswiththefactthatCPMsandtheaverageCPCishigher,it’seasytoseethatretailerswillneedtogetseriousabouttheirholidaybudgetsiftheywanttobeattheirsalesgoals.

WhatdidsurpriseusisthattheaveragenumberofadimpressionsservedonamonthlybasisactuallybeginstodecreaseaswemovefromOctoberintothefinalfewweeksoftheyear.BecauseCPCsandCPMsarelowerduringthesummerandfallmonths,thisisagreattimeoftheyeartogetyourbrandinfrontofthecustomersyoucareaboutthemost—withmuchlessinterferencefromcompetitors.

Bottomline,theearlieryoustart,themorelikelyyou’llbeabletogetyourbrandinfrontofyourtargetaudienceandstaytopofmindduringtheholidayseason.

MarketerswhoarelookingtodecreasetheiraverageCPCsandCPMsduringthisholidaycampaignseasonshouldconsiderrunningadsearlyontosavemoney.

*DatapulledfromallspendingAdRollcustomersfromJulythroughDecember2016,unlessotherwisenoted.

lowerthanNovember

lowerthanNovember

lowerthanDecember

lowerthanDecember

July

July

15%

24%

20%

31%

Average monthly CPC compared to December in 2016*

Average monthly CPM compared to December in 2016*

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THE IMPORTANCE OF TESTINGLookingattheindustrytrends,it’seasytoseethatthesummermonthsofJunethroughSeptemberhavemuchlowersalesacrosstheboard.Althoughthismayseemlikebadnewsforretailers,itactuallypresentsagreateropportunitythanmostrealize.

Thesemonthsareaperfecttimetogetsomelow-costtestingdone,longbeforetheholidays.TakingadvantageoflowCPMscaneffectivelyexpandyourmarketingbudgetandallowyoutogetmorecreativewithyourtesting.AccordingtoRJMetrics,e-commerceretailershavestartedgettingalotmorecreativetomaketheonlinecustomerexperiencesmoother.

Inthefollowingsections,we’lltakeanin-depthlookatbothcreativetests(e.g.,user-generatedcontent)andpracticaltests(e.g.,optimizingyourretailandmobilepages).

RELATIONSHIP BUILDINGTheuseofinfluencerandpartnermarketinghasbecomeapopulartrendoverthelastcoupleofyears.Asconsumershavebecomemoresavvyatdeciphering“brand-speak,”ithasbecomemoreandmorechallengingforbrandstoreachtheircustomers.

Formostbrands,influencersarethemosteffectivesolutionforbreakingthroughthisbrand-blindness.Influencersbuildupatrustworthyrelationshipwiththeirfansoveryearsandyearsofqualityinteractions.Theycanthen,onoccasion,loanthattrusttoabrandthathassimilarinterestsandcustomers.

Althoughitmightbetemptingtotapintothisresourceimmediately,it’simportanttofirstbuildupsomecredit.Influencerscanbeveryprotectiveoftheiraudience’sinterests;afterall,thisistheirbiggestasset—theywon’tloanitouttojustanybrandthatcomesalongwithacheckbook.

Aswe’llfindoutinthefollowingchapters,it’simportanttobuildarapportwithyourinfluencersofchoiceearlyintheyear.Havingasolidrelationshipwithyourinfluencerscannotonlyhelpyourcampaignsrunsmoothlybutalsoincreaseyoursocialreachtremendously.Arecentstudyshowedthatoneinfluencersharingyourpostcanleadtoa31.8%increaseinsocialshares,whilefiveinfluencerssharingyourcontentcanquadruplethenumberofsocialshares.Maximizingyourreachduringthatcrucialretailperiodaroundtheholidaysisallaboutstartingthoserelationshipsearly.

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CHAPTER 2: HOLIDAY PLANNING ANALYSISTosetupandmeasureyourcampaignssuccessfully,it’snecessarytodefineclearandobtainablegoalsforyourbusiness.Yourgoals—whethertheyrelatetotargetrevenue,customeracquisition,orsomethingelse—informwhichmetricsandsegmentationstrategieswillbemostapplicabletoyourmarketingneeds.Below,we’velaidoutthestrategieseverymarketerwillneedtoensurethesuccessoftheirholidaycampaigns.

METRICS TO IMPROVE THE SUCCESS OF YOUR ADS:

New site visitors Thenumberofnewvisitorswhocametoyoursiteafteryoulaunchedacampaign

Cost per acquisition (CPA) Youroverallcampaignspenddividedbythetotalnumberofnewcustomersacquired

View-through conversions (VTCs) Conversionsthatresultedfromcustomerswhoviewedadsbutdidnotclick

Impressions Thetotalnumberoftimesanadwasviewedbyamemberofanonlineaudience,whicharetypicallymeasuredinCPM

Attributed closed deals Thetotalnumberofdealsclosedfromprospectivecustomerswhointeractedwithanadvertisingcampaign

Return on investment (ROI)Thetotalrevenuegeneratedbyyourcampaign,dividedbyyourtotalcosts

Customer lifetime value (LTV)Thenetprofitattributedtoacustomerovertheirlifetime

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METRICS TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS’S BOTTOM LINE:

Year-over-year (YOY) growth goalsThebasisofyourentirecampaignmeasurementstrategyshouldbackintoyourYOYgrowthgoals.Interestedinservingmoreadstomorecustomers,drivingmoreuserstoyoursite,orincreasingsales?Asamarketer,youshouldidentifywhatyourkeygrowthgoalsareforthisyear’sholidaystrategy,andoptimizeeachcampaigntomeetthesegoals.

Year-over-year (YOY) trafficYourYOYtrafficwillhelpyoudeterminehowmanycustomersshouldvisityoursite.Thistrafficwillhelpyoudeterminehowmuchadspendtoputbehindthingslikeretargetingcampaigns.Ifthisusertraffichasincreased,itwouldbeagoodideatoincreaseyourholidaymarketingbudgettoensureyou’llbeabletoconvertasmanyusersaspossible.Ifthistraffichasdecreasedsincelastyear,campaignscopemayneedtobereadjusted.Yourinternalteamshouldlooktopullthehighest-performingcampaignsfromthepreviousyeartomaintainthatyear’sconversionratewithasmalleraudience.

New user acquisitionIfyoudofindthatyourtrafficisdown,whatareyoudoingtoreversethistrend?ProductslikeAdRollProspectingandAdRollRetargetingcanworktogethertohelpbringnewandreturningqualityuserstoyoursiteandeventuallyleadthemtoconvert—allbydeliveringhighlypersonalizedadstothesitestheyvisitmostoften.

Conversion ratesFromhere,marketerscanbegintolookattheiroverallconversionrate.Industrymetricsshowthatconversionratestypicallyfallanywherebetween1and2%.Ifyou’reinterestedinimprovingtheserates,astrongretargetingcampaignacrossweb,social,andmobilewillhelpguaranteeyourmessagegetsinfrontoftherightaudience,attherighttime.

Yearly revenue goalsMarketersshouldalsousethesummermonthstoanalyzetheprogressoftheiryearlyrevenuegoals.Thiswillhelpyouunderstandhowmuchweightwillbeputonholidaysalestomeetyourcompany’snumbers.Alittlebehindontheyear?Thenitmightbetimetopouronthegas.Alittleaheadontheyear?Thenit’sdefinitelytimetopouronthegas.

Customer loyaltyThistimeoftheyearisperfectforassessinghowyourcompanyisdoingintermsofcustomerloyalty.Haveyoubeenre-engagingyourmostimportantcustomers?It’swelldocumentedthatitcostsfivetimesasmuchtoacquireanewcustomerasitdoestomaintainacurrentone.Additionally,studieshaveshownthatevena5%increaseincustomerretentioncanresultina25–95%increaseinoverallprofits.Bottomline,theholidaysarethetimetore-engagecustomersandyourcampaignsshouldbeabletomeasureyoursuccessindoingso.Agoodwaytodothisisbyofferingspecialdiscountsorexclusiveitemstoyourmostvaluedclients.

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SEGMENTATIONNowthatyou’veidentifiedthekeymetricsneededtomeasurethesuccessofyourdifferentcampaigns,it’stimetolookathowyoushouldsegmentyouraudienceinordertomeetyourholidaymarketinggoals.Audiencesegmentationistheeasiestwaytoservethemostrelevantmessagestoyourtargetaudience.

Bysegmentingbasedonthingslikeproductsviewed,timeonsite,orpurchasehistory,youcanmakesureeachadcontainstheinformationyouraudiencecaresaboutthemost.Whencreatingasegmentationstrategy,it’simportanttotakeafull-funnelapproach.Thismeansthatyoursegmentsshouldincludecustomersatthetop,middle,andbottomofthefunnel—withsomesegmentsaimedatgrowingyourcustomerbase.Below,we’vecompiledthemostsuccessfulsegmentationstrategiesforonlinemarketers.

LoyaltyThisiswhereyourCRMcomesintoplay.Thissegmentallowsyoutotargettheuserswhomeanthemosttoyourbusinessandshowthemthelovetheydeserve.Thisiswhereeverymarketershouldbesendingemailstolastyear’sholidaycustomerstoremindthemofnewproducts.Marketersshouldalsosendemailstoloyalcustomerswithexclusivedealsandproductoffers.

Prospecting Thissegmentisaimedatdrivingnewaudiencestoyoursite.Byanalyzingthebehaviorofyourcurrentcustomerbase,we’reabletodrivenet-new,interestedaudiencestoyoursite.

Product pagesOneofthesimplestandmostpersonalstrategies,thissegmentallowsmarketerstotargetusersbasedontheproductsorservicesthey’veviewedonyoursite.Ifyou’reinterestedinincreasingsalesforalaggingproductorboostingrevenueforapremiumservice,thisstrategyisforyou.

Cart abandoners Thisisoneofthehighest-intentsegments.Thisstrategyallowsmarketerstotargetuserswhohaveputproductsintheircartbutleftwithoutcompletingapurchase.Withcartabandonmentrateshoveringsomewhereinthe60–80%range,thissegmentcanmakethedifferencebetweenconvertingacustomerandlosingasale.We’llgointomoredepthonexactlyhowtofixcartabandonmentinthefollowingchapter.

Gifting campaignsHaveanygiftguidesonyoursite?Makesuretosegmentouttheuserswhohaveviewedthem.

Number of pages viewedThisisoneofthemostversatilestrategiesbecauseitcanbeoptimizedtoallstagesofthemarketingfunnel.Itsegmentscustomersbasedonthenumberofpagesthey’veviewed.So,agroupofcustomerswhocametoyourhomepagebutbouncedquicklywouldfallintoanupper-funnelcampaign,whileagroupofcustomerswhovisitedfivepagesormorewouldfallclosertothebottom.

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CHAPTER 3: OPTIMIZING THE USER EXPERIENCE

Creatingaconsistentsalesfunneltakesalotoftrialanderror,butit’swellworththeeffort.Understandably,thelastthingyouwanttodoistestyouruserexperienceinthemidstofthechaoticholidayseason.Thisiswhyit’svitaltostartoptimizingnow.

ThegoodnewsisthatwithjustafewsimpleadjustmentsyoucanimproveyouronlinesalesandROI.Inthischapter,you’regoingtolearnhowtoreduceyourbouncerate,optimizeyourretailpages,createasmoothcheckoutfunnel,andreducecartabandonment.Alloftheseoptimizations,whenworkingtogether,canincreaseyourrevenuedramatically.

REDUCING YOUR BOUNCE RATEHaveyoueverwalkedintoastorebecauseofthebeautifuldisplayinthewindow?Or,conversely,haveyoueverleftastorebecauseit’smessy,disorganized,andcan’tfindthecheckout?Asdigitalmarketers,it’seasytoforgetthatonlinestoresactasaphysicalrepresentationofourbrand.Assuch,weneedtotreatourstorewiththesameloveandattentionthatyouwouldtreataphysicalstorefront.Visitorswill“walkinto”yourstoreifthereisabeautifullayoutinthesamewaythey’ll“walkout”ifyourwebsiteisclutteredanddifficulttonavigate.

First,tobeginimprovingyourbouncerate,you’llwanttomakepotentialcustomersfeellikeyouunderstandthemandtheirneeds.Thisiswhyyourcopymustshine.Youshouldalwayspresentyourmainvaluepropositionintheveryfirstheadlineonyoursite:

• Highlightthefeaturesofyourproduct

• Highlightthebenefitsofyourproduct

• Highlighttheproblemthatyourproductaddresses

Remembertokeeptheheadlinescohesivesotheyflowtogetherthroughoutyourwholepage.Ifsomeoneweretoreadonlyyourheadlines,theyshouldunderstandwhatyou’reselling.

Secondly,you’llwanttofocusonbrandimagery.Copywillonlytakeyouruserssofar—youneedtokeepthemscrollinginordertomakethesale.Breakupyourcontentwithgraphics,photos,andmockups.

Finally,useyourcontentwisely.Blogsandsocialfeedsareincrediblyimportanttoyouroverallbrand.Butkeepthemawayfromcheckoutpages,wheretheycandistracttheshopperfromcompletingtheirpurchase.

Writtenby:Selz

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OPTIMIZING YOUR RETAIL PAGESWhileyourwebsiteitselfneedslengthycopy,tonsofimages,andrelevantcontent,retailpagessimplydonot.Yourhomepagehasalreadyconvincedthemtobrowseyourproducts,sowhentheygettotheproductpage,youronlygoalistomakethesale.

Thereareplentyofthingsthatyouabsolutelyneedonyourretailpages:

Clear product descriptions Tellyourusersexactlywhatthey’regoingtogetwhentheypurchaseyourproduct.Includerelevantinformationonsizing,material,techspecs,etc.It’scompletelyencouragedtousealittlemarketingcharmwhenwritingyourproductdescription,butdon’tleaveoutthefacts.

Multiple imagesUsemorethanoneimagetodisplayyourproduct.Ofcourseitdependsonwhatyou’reselling,butshowingarealpersonusing,wearing,ordisplayingyourimagewillalwaysconvertbetterthanjustabareproduct.Trytovarytheanglesandscenariosyoushowyourproductin.

User reviewsTheseareparamounttoyoursales—addingthemtoyoursitecanimproveconversionsby161%.Givingtheuserastraightforwardstarratingandallowingthemtoreadotheruserreviews,evenifthosereviewsarepoor,greatlyincreasestheuser’strustinyourbrand.Ifyou’reusingSelz,youcanactuallyinstalltheYotpoappintoyourstoretodothisseamlessly.

FAQsTheseshouldbetailoredtoyourproducts.Ifyou’resellingapparel,it’shelpfultoprovidesizinginformation,likewhetheritrunssmallorlarge.Ifyou’resellinganevent,yourusersmayneedsomeadditionalinformationbeforetheycommittobuying.TheeasiestwaytobuildyourFAQpageistotakerealquestionsfromrealcustomersonyoursupportsideandusethosetoguideyou.

Buy buttonsThisgoeswithoutsaying,butwe’llsayitanyway:buybuttonsareeasilythemostimportantthingonyourretailpage.Thatmeanshavingeasy-to-findbuttonswithsolidCTAs.TherearecommonCTAsthatyoucanuseonyourbuybuttons,like“buynow,”“learnmore,”or“viewproduct,”butthere’snoprovenbuttoncopythatworksforeveryone.That’swhyit’simperativetotestyoursiteandgatherdatabeforeyou’repushingforholidaysales.RunsomeA/Btestsfirsttofigureoutwhatbuttontextworks;thenyoucanstartexperimentingwithcolor,size,position,andmore.

CREATING A SMOOTHER CHECKOUT FUNNELThecheckoutprocessisacrucialstepincompletingthesale,andthisisanotherthingyouwanttohavenaileddownbeforetheinfluxoftraffictoyoursiteduringtheholidays.Thereareafewthingstoconsiderincludinginyourcheckoutfunnel:

Shipping rates Shippingcanseriouslymakeorbreakyoursale.AccordingtoarecentUPSPulsesurvey,freeshippingwasdeemedthesecondmostimportantfactorforshopperswhenpurchasingonline,and93%ofshopperstakeactionforfreeshipping.Butifyoucannotofferfreeshipping,youshouldbetransparentabouthowmuchitwillcostearlyinthefunnel.There’snothingmorefrustratingthangettingthroughtheentirecheckoutprocess,onlytofindoutthattheshippingpriceishigherthanexpected.

Adding user reviews to your site can improve conversions by 161%.

? DID yOU KnOW

According to a recent UPS Pulse survey, free shipping

was deemed the second most important factor for

shoppers when purchasing online, and 93% of shoppers take action for free shipping.

! FUn FACTS

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Progress barsProgressbarsaren’tamandatorypartofcheckout,buttheycertainlyhelp.Ifyouhavealongercheckoutprocessbecauseoftheproductyou’resellingorthespecificinformationyouneed,thenincludeaprogressbartoletyouruserknowthey’realmostfinished.Trytokeepyourcheckoutwithinthreetofourstepsandhelpyourcustomerunderstandtheirprogresswitheachstep.

Checkout timersAcheckouttimerisacountdownofhowlongyouruserhastocompletethecheckoutbeforetheylosetheiritem.Thisisanexcellenttechniqueifyou’resellingticketstoeventsorotherin-demanditems.Itgivesyourusersareasontopurchasequickly,encouragingasale.Ofcourse,thisisjustonemorethingtotestbeforemakingitliveduringtheholidays.Youshouldbepositivethatacarttimerisencouragingsalesandnothinderingthem.

E-commerce hostingThisisafantasticwaytostartandbuildyourwebsite.E-commercehostingprovidersallowyoutocreateyourwebsite,addyourproducts,andsellthem,allfromthesameplace.Ifyou’rejustgettingstarted,orwantasimplerwaytorunyourbusiness,youcanuseasitelikeSelztobuildyourstore.E-commercesiteslikeSelzhavealreadyperfectedthecheckoutfunnel,ensuringthatyourcustomerswon’tdropoffduetoaninconsistentcheckoutprocess.

REDUCING CART ABANDONMENTEvenifyou’vereducedyourbouncerate,optimizedyoursalespages,andcreatedaflawlesscheckoutprocess,thesadtruthisyou’restillgoingtoloseafewbuyers.In2017,theBaymardInstitutelookedat37cartabandonmentstudiesandfoundthattheaverageonlineshoppingcartabandonmentrateis69%.That’salotofmissedsales.Luckily,therearequiteafewtried-and-truetrickstowinbackyourcustomers:

Retargeting Retargetingisoneofthebestandmostcost-effectivewaystowinbackacartabandoner.WithAdRoll,youcaneasilytrackuserswhohaveabandonedtheircartsusingthesmartpixel.Fromthere,youcanservethemadsfeaturingtheproductsthey’veviewed,allowingthemtocomebackandpurchaseatalatertime.

Abandoned cart emails Ifauserisloggedintotheiraccountwhilethey’reshoppingonyoursite,youcanretargetthemthroughabandonedcartemails.Thismeansthatyourcustomerwillgetanemailwhentheyleaveanitemintheircartwithoutbuyingit.ThisissupersimpletodowithbothAdRollandSelz,andyoucanautomatetheprocesstosendtheemail1-4hoursafterthecarthasbeenabandoned.It’salsorecommendedtosendasecondabandonedcartemail24hoursafterthecartwasabandoned.Thisiswhereyoucanofferacouponoranincentive,likefreeshipping.Sometimesthecustomerjustneedsthatextraincentivetobuytheproduct.

GET STARTED NOWThemostimportantthingtounderstandwhenoptimizingyoursiteforconversionsisthatittakesalongtimetotestthesethings.Whenyou’reA/Btestingyoursite,youshouldonlyberunningonetestatatime,andwiththisnewwealthofinformation,you’llbeneedingtorunmorethanafewtests.Startoptimizingyourwebsitenow,andyou’llhaveakillersales-makingmachinejustintimefortheholidays.

In 2017, the Baymard Institute looked at 37 cart abandonment studies and

found that the average online shopping cart

abandonment rate is 69%.

! FUn FACTS

It’s recommended to send a second abandoned cart email 24 hours after the

cart was abandoned.

! FUn FACTS

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CHAPTER 4: GROWING YOUR CUSTOMER BASE

REACHING NEW USERSIt’sanunderstatementtosaythatreachingnewusersisapivotalfunctionofmarketers’day-to-daylives—formany,it’sthesolefocusoftheirjobs.Infact,ourrecentStateofPerformanceMarketingReportfoundthatmarketersspendover70%oftheirbudgetsonprospectingandconvertingnewusers.

Despitethis,we’venoticedthatmanymarketersinthespacearestillmakingonecrucialmistake—they’rewaitingwaytoolongtostartrunningtheirholidaycampaignstoacquirenewcustomers.

Inthissection,we’lldiscusswhymarketersshouldbefocusedongrowingtheircustomerbaseandrevealthetopstrategiesforconvertingcustomersatthelowestpossiblecost.

ACQUIRING NEW USERS EARLY Intalkingwithourclients,we’venoticedthatmanymarketershavealreadyidentifiedthechannelswheretheirtargetaudienceexistsandhaveimplementedstrategiestocoaxthosepotentialnewcustomerstovisittheirsite.Yetmanyareputoffbythehighpricesofrunningadvertisingaroundtheholidays.

Toavoidholidaycostsandgetajumpstartoncompetitors,themostsuccessfulmarketerswilloftenbeginrunningtheircampaignsinSeptemberorOctober—someevendoitasearlyasJuly.Infact,theNationalResearchFoundationrecentlyfoundthatthatnearly20%ofallshopperswillbegintheirholidayshoppinginSeptemberorearlier.Andit’snowonderwhy.AquicklookatAdRoll’sinternaldatafoundthateachmonthfromJulytoOctobersawCPMsatleast15%lessthanNovemberandroughly25%lessthanDecember,withlittletonodecreaseinthenumberofimpressionsserved.

Most businesses know that retaining and upselling their current customers is the easiest and cheapest way to increase their revenue. Easy wins can come from turning current customers into continuous revenue streams. But businesses with stagnant customer growth will eventually stall out and see their revenue decline. To combat this, a healthy mix of new customer acquisition and current account growth will ensure your business sees healthy returns year after year.

September

18%25%

October

15%23%

August

21%29%

November

9%

lowerthanNovember lowerthanDecember

July

24%31%

Average monthly CPM compared to December in 2016*

*DatapulledfromallspendingAdRollcustomersfromJulythroughDecember2016,unlessotherwisenoted.

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USING ADROLL PROSPECTINGNowthatyouunderstandtheimportanceofrunningnew-useracquisitioncampaignsearly,it’stimetosetyourplansintomotion.Whiletacticslikedirectmailershaveshownsomesuccessinthepast,theeasiest—andmostefficient—waytogrowyourcustomerbaseisthroughtoolslikeAdRollProspecting.

What is Prospecting?Prospectingisanupper-funnelproductthatfindsanddrivesnew,interesteduserstoyoursite.Bycomparingthecustomerswhohavealreadyconvertedonyoursitetoover1billiondigitalprofiles,prospectingattractssitevisitors—acrosswebandsocialmedia—whoaremostlikelytobeinterestedinyourproductsorservices.

How does it work?Insteadofmakinganeducatedguessaboutwhatyouridealcustomermightlooklike,prospectingleveragesyourwebsite’scustomerdatatofindaudienceswhoactlikeyourconvertedusers,drivingthehighest-valuenewuserspossible.

How AdRoll Prospecting is unique

SHIEKH SHOES“WithlessthanamonthbeforeBlackFriday,ShiekhShoesaskedAdRolltohelpwiththeirholidaypromotions.Shiekhalsoneededsupportforitsnewlyacquiredsites:Karmaloop,PLNDR,andKazbah.”

ShiekhShoeswasreadytowinnewcustomersandengagepastbuyersfortheholidays—butafteranegativeexperiencewithaformerdigitalmarketingvendor,thecompanywashesitanttomakeanylarge-scalechangesrightbeforepeakseason.TheAdRollteamwasconfidentitcoulddeliversuccessonasetbudget—eventhoughitwassoclosetoabusyholidayseason.AweekbeforeBlackFriday,ShiekhlaunchedAdRollProspectingandRetargetingonthewebandFacebook.Afterashorttime,theysawa20%liftinROIandwereplanningtoinvestheavilyinAdRollProspectingfortheholidaystocome.

1.2+BILLIONDIGITALPROFILESTapintotheIntentMap™,theworld’slargestadvertisingopt-indataco-op,toreachaudienceswhoareinthemarketforyouroffering.

FULL-FUNNELMARKETINGAdRollProspectingandAdRollRetargetingworkmoreeffectivelyintandemtoattractandconvertcustomers.

POWERFULMACHINELEARNINGOvertime,AdRollProspectingcalibratesandbecomesincreasinglyprecise.

TRANSPARENTREPORTINGWedon’thideperformance,soyoucanmonitorhowAdRollProspectingandAdRollRetargetingperformindividuallyandtogether.

DATASCIENCE,NOTASSUMPTIONSAdRollProspectingusesyourexistingcustomerdatatofindnew,high-valueprospects.

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CHAPTER 5: HOW TO START WITH INFLUENCER MARKETING

THE STATE OF INFLUENCER MARKETINGTheholidaysarethemostlucrative—butalsothemostcompetitive—timeofyearforbrands.Marketersareinafrenzytogettheircreativeready,finalizethepricingforproducts,andprepareenticingdealsforthebigrush.

Whichnaturallybegsthequestion:Ifeverybrandishavingabigsale,cananyonehearthedealsthroughthenoise?

Duringthistime,consumersaren’tjustshoppingforgifts;they’reshoppingforgiftideas.Morethanhalflookforideasanddealsonsocialchannels.

Buthere’sthething—it’shardtostandoutonsocialmedia.EvenifyoupaytopromoteanadorproductonFacebook,67%ofmillennialssaythey’veneverclickedasponsoredpost.Themajority(95%)saytheirmostcrediblesourceofinformationistheirfriends.

Butthere’sanotherwaytogetinfrontofholidayshoppers.Influencers—fromfoodbloggersandYouTuberstoInstagramcelebrities—arefarmoretrustedthanbrands.Andforeverydollarbrandsspendoninfluencermarketing,theycansee$6.50inreturn.

Here’showmajorbrandsarecreatinggreatinfluencercontentforholidaycampaigns.

5 EXAMPLES OF AWESOME INFLUENCER HOLIDAY MARKETING

1WhenOldNavywantedtopromotecertainlinesofholidayclothes,thebranddecidedtogetanexpertonthecase.MeghanRienkshas1.3millionfollowersonInstagramand2millionsubscribersonYouTube.OldNavyworkedwithRienkstodebutthreedifferentfashionstylesfortheholidays,whichpromotedthebrand’sclothinglinesandputOldNavyinfrontofRienks’sfollowers.

Takeaway: Anybrandcanworkwithinfluencerstoshowcasetheirproductsinaction.Eventechcompaniescanhaveausergothroughtheuserinterfaceortalkabouttheirbrandexperience.Highlightinginfluencersusingproductsisabuilt-intestimonial—withshareablecontenttoboot.

OLD NAVY TAPS AN INFLUENCER FOR FASHION TIPS

67% of millennials say they’ve never clicked

a sponsored post. The majority (95%) say their most credible source of

information is their friends.

! FUn FACTS

And for every dollar brands spend on influencer

marketing, they can see $6.50 in return

! FUn FACTS

Writtenby:bitly

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2Duringtheholidayseason,Hallmarkwantedtoshowcaseaspecialornamentcollection,sotheteamdecidedtoworkwithanumberofinfluencerswhohadthespecificaudiencethatHallmarkwantedtotarget.Whiletheymaynothavethemillion-plusreachofbig-timesocialmediapersonalities,thesemicro-influencerscanhavejustasbiganeffectbyconnectingdifferentcrowdsaroundoneevent.ForHallmark’scampaign,eachinfluencertookapictureoftheornamentcollectionandlinkedtotheproductpagewithinhisorherbio.

Takeaway: Byworkingwithinfluencerstophotographhowyourproductcanhelpbuildspecialmoments,youcancreatebrandaffinitythatislessofasalespitchandmoreexperientialinnature.

HALLMARK WORKS WITH MICRO-INFLUENCERS

3AmazonwantedtogetmoreawarenessaroundAmazonPrime,sothecompanyworkedwithYouTubeinfluencersIngridNilsen,whohas4millionsubscribers,andAlexWassabi,whohas8.5million.

Bybuildingthesponsorshipintoapreexistingstory(e.g.,NilsentalkedabouthowshewantstogetsomethingspecialforherdogfortheholidaysandusedPrimetoorder),Amazoncreatedengagingvideocontentwithoutpushingtheproducttoohard.Intheend,Nilsen’svideogarnered1.3millionviews.

Takeaway: Whilevideomarketingisundoubtedlyafast-growingmarketingchannel,ithasbeenchallengingforbrandstocreatepopularvideocontent.WorkingwithYouTubecelebrities,whoalreadyhaveestablishedaudiences,canhelpcompaniesbreakthroughintovideoandgrowafollowing.

AMAZON SPONSORS VIDEO CONTENT

Micro-influencers can have just as big an effect

by connecting different crowds around one event.

! FUn FACTS

Nilsen’s video garnered 1.3 million views.

! FUn FACTS

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4Forthepastfewyears,Starbuckshashostedthe#redcupcontesttoencouragecustomerstocomeupwiththeirmostfestiveideasfortheholidayseason.WinningdesignsarefeaturedonStarbuckscupsacross25thousanddifferentstoresaroundtheworld.Byhighlightingtheirfollowers’creativity,Starbucksgetseveryoneengagedandencouragesparticipationfromtopfans.Therehavebeenthousandsofentries,andthehashtagwassharedmorethan40thousandtimes.

Takeaway: Bycrowdsourcingcontent,youcanconnecttoinfluencersandaudienceswithmuchbroadercampaigns.Fortheholidays,youcouldcompiledifferentstoriesfrominfluencerswhoworkintheindustryorareinterestedinyourspace.

STARBUCKS ASKS FOR DESIGN HELP

5Smallerbrandscanworkwithinfluencers,too.WatchbrandOriginalGrainoftenfeaturesphotosoftheirwatchestakenbydifferentphotographers.Fortheholidays,thebrandshowcasedawatchwithChristmasdecorationsaroundit.

CaitlinandDani,thebloggerswhotookthepicture,havearound10thousandfollowers—meaningthebrandstillgotintothatcrossoveraudiencewithoutspendingbudgetonpaidads.

Takeaway: Youdon’thavetobeaFortune500companytoworkwithinfluencers.Micro-influencerswithupto10thousandfollowersstillreachabigaudienceandcreatearippleeffectamongtheirfans.

ORIGINAL GRAIN USES MICRO-INFLUENCERS

There have been thousands of entries, and the hashtag

was shared more than 40 thousand times.

! FUn FACTS

Micro-influencers with up to 10 thousand followers still

reach a big audience.

! FUn FACTS

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SETTING UP AN INFLUENCER OUTREACH PROGRAMIdentifyingyourinfluencersmeansidentifyingtheaudiencesyouwanttoreach.Todothis,werecommendafewsteps:

• Searchthroughhashtags

• PostrequestsforexpertadviceatHelpAReporter.com

• Seewhoyourexistinginfluencersfollow

• Askinfluencerstorecommendfriends

Whenyou’venarroweddownthelisttoahandfulofinfluencerswhomightworkforyourbrand,thereare5effectivechannelsthroughwhichtoreachout:

• Email

• Twitter

• Instagram

• Agency(ifthey’rerepresented)

• Events

THE TEMPLATE Whateverchannelyouuse,makesureyourfirstmessageisstraightforwardandtothepoint:

from: John<[email protected]>to: Carrie<[email protected]>date: Fri,Jul14,2017at9:43AMsubject: AdRollHolidayHorrorCampaign

HiCarrie,

WelovetheworkthatyoudoforY.We’recurrentlyrunningacampaignaboutZ,andwethoughtitwouldbegreattohaveyoujoinus!Ifyou’reinterested,wecansendoverthefullcreativebrief.

Best,John

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THE CREATIVE BRIEF Thecreativebriefisthecornerstoneoftheinfluencermarketingprogram.Whensomeonehasagreedtoworkwithyourbrand,doublecheckthatbothsidesunderstandthepartnershipandmakesuretofollowanysponsorshipdisclosurerequirementsinposts.

Buildacreativebriefthatspecifiesthecampaignobjective,whatsuccesslookslike,andexactlywhatyou’rehopingtheinfluencerwillcontributeintermsofdesign,message,andcontent.

The Creative BriefOurnewestproduct,ProductX,helpscustomersseeclearacrosstheinternet.You’vebeenchosentobeapartnertohelpuslaunchtheproductandspreadthemessagebyshowingitinaction!

CAMPAIGN GUIDELINES • Dotrytoincludebrandedcolors(blueandorange)inyourimagery

• Dotag@bitlyineachpromotion

• Donotusemultiplefiltersorspecialeffects

• Donotincludeidentifiablelogosfromcompetitors

DATES 6/6-Receiveyourcampaignbriefsandmaterialsinthemail

6/12-Submitfirstphotoandcaption

6/18-Submitsecondphotoandcaption

HASHTAGS #bitly,#bitlynetwork,#customerexperience

COPY GUIDELINES Keepitshort,sweet,andinformative.Aboveall,havefunandtailorittoyouraudience!

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TRACKING SUCCESS Resultsfrominfluencermarketingprogramsarenotoriouslyhardtomeasure.Alotofthetime,youmightnothaveaccesstotheanalyticsthatwouldhelpyoufigureoutwhichcampaignsarereallydrivingROI.Youcanusuallyseepartofthecustomerjourney,butnotallofit.

Toreallytrackinfluencermarketing,youhavetomakesurethatyouhavetrackingtoolsinplacefromthestart:

1. Use a trackable link

WithalinkmanagementplatformlikeBitly,youcanshortenandcustomizeeverylink.Whenyouhandlinkstoinfluencers,youcantrackhowmanyclicksarebeingdrivenbacktothedestination.Thisgivesyouamacroviewofhoweachinfluencerintheprogramisperforming.

2. Use separate landing pagesYoushouldideallybuildadifferentlandingpageforeachinfluencer,sothatyoucanhaveauniquedestinationthatshowshowmuchtrafficandhowmanysaleseachinfluencerisdriving.Asidefromwhoisdrivingtraffic,eachlandingpageshouldbeidenticalineverywaysotherearen’tanyvariablesthatcouldotherwiseaffectconversions.

3. Put everything in one place StartanExcelsheetoruseareportingtooltoensurethatyoucantracktheresultsside-by-side.Ifyou’rerunningalotofdifferentholidaycampaignsorworkingwithdifferentgroupsofinfluencers,youshouldcentralizeallthemetricstoseewhichcontentisworkingbest.

TestinginfluencercampaignsearlierintheyearwillrevealwhichinfluencersdrivethebestROI,sowhentheholidayscomearoundyoucanconcentrateononlythebestinfluencersforyourbrand.

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CHAPTER 6: USER-GENERATED CONTENTThefirstthingsthatcometomindwhenmostpeoplethinkaboutuser-generatedcontentareterriblepicturesofproductswithbadlightinginnot-so-desirablelocations.And,yes,whileit’struethatsomeuser-generatedcampaignscanbepoorlyexecuted,whentheydowork,theyareincrediblyeffective.

Infact,accordingtoasurveybyYotpo,user-generatedcontentcanincreaseCTRsforFacebookadsbyupto300%.User-generatedcampaignsalsoshowa50%lowerCPCandCPA.

There’sclearlyahugeupsidetocreatinguser-generatedcontent,butthequestionsstillremain:Howdowelaunchasuccessfuluser-generatedcampaign,andhowcanwepreventauser-generatedcampaignfrombeingaflop?

USER-GENERATED CONTENT REDEFINEDUser-generatedcontentisalotbroaderofacategorythanmostmarketersrealize.Itincludesavarietyofassetssuchasuserreviews,comments,pictures,andanswerstoFAQs.User-generatedcontentworksforoneverysimplereason:customers trust other customers when it comes to buying decisions.AccordingtoaNielsenstudy,over90%ofconsumerstrustrecommendationsfromstrangersandinfluencersoverthosefrombrands.

AccordingtodatagatheredbyYotpo,addinguser-generatedreviewstoyourholidaycampaignscanbeoneofthesinglebestchangesyoucanmakethisholidayseason:

Apparel LookingattheoverallupliftinApparel,YotpofoundthatpeoplewhoarelookingatUGCconvertata207%higherratethanpeoplewhoarenotlookingatUGC.

BeautyLookingattheoverallupliftinBeauty,YotpofoundthatpeoplewhoarelookingatUGCconvertata213%higherratethanpeoplewhoarenotlookingatUGC.

Overall Acrossallindustries,peoplewholookatUGCconvertata161%higherratethanpeoplewhoarenotlookingatUGC.

In fact, according to a survey by Yotpo, user-generated content can increase click-through

rates (CTRs) for Facebook ads by up to 300%.

! FUn FACTS

According to a Nielsen study, over 90% of

consumers trust recommendations from

strangers and influencers over those from brands.

! FUn FACTS

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UGC BEST PRACTICESMaybeyoualreadyhavesomeuser-generatedcontent,oryou’restartingfresh.Eitherway,gettinguser-generatedcontentshouldbeatopprioritybeforetheholidayseason.Thereareafewwaysyoucanstartgatheringuser-generatedcontent:

REVIEWSUserreviewsareoneofthemostpowerfulsalestoolsoutthere.Ifuserscan’tleavereviewsonyoursite,thenyoushouldprioritizethismust-havefeature.

Somebusinessesareafraidtoenableuserreviewsontheirsitesoutoffearthatthey’llreceivenegativefeedbackandlosesales.But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Bad reviews, as it turns out, can help you increase sales.AccordingtoYotpo,ifthefeedbackonasiteisentirelypositive,95%ofvisitorsbelievethereviewsarefakeorcompany-screened.Perfectreviewscauseuserstodoubttheintegrityofthebrandfarmorethanafewdisgruntledreviews.

Thebiggestadvantagetosettingupuserreviewsbeforetheholidayseasonisthatyoucangatheruserfeedbackquicklyandcatchproblemsbeforetheystart.Oneofthemainchallengesthate-commerceretailersfaceisprovidingpotentialcustomerswitharealisticideaofwhattheirproductsareactuallylike.Userreviews,(likewhenacustomertellsyouyoursizingisofforthatanitemdidn’tarriveontime),areoneofthebestwaystofixyourprocessbeforeeverythingisinfullswing.

FAQSpeakingoffixingproblemsbeforetheystart,improvingyourFAQsectionforeachproductisastandardbestpracticethatoftengetsoverlooked.AccordingtoareportbytheBaymardInstitute,69%ofallconsumersabandontheirshoppingcart,oftenforanumberofverypredictablereasons.

Whileusingretargetingistheeasiestwaytore-engagethosehigh-intentbuyers,preventingcartabandonmentinthefirstplaceisobviouslypreferred.Onceyou’vesetupawaytogetfeedbackfromyourusers,youshouldleveragethatfeedbacktorespondtothemostcommonpainpoints.Addinganswersaboutshippingcosts,sizing,andgeneralproductinformationcanhelpyouboostconversionsandsaveyoualotofmarketingdollarsdowntheline.

USER-GENERATED CAMPAIGNSAddinguser-generatedcontentonyoursitecertainlyhelpsdriveconversions,butitcanalsodomuchmorethanthat.Onceyou’veoptimizedyoursite,thenextstepistoleverageyourusercontenttohelpdrivetraffictoitaswell.

PROMOTE YOUR USER REVIEWSWhileit’scertainlygoodtohaveuser-generatedcontentonyourwebsite,ifyousimplystopthere,you’llonlybeaffectingsitevisitors.Agreatwaytoattractnewuserstoyoure-commercesiteistoshowcaseyourbestuserreviewsinyourmarketingmaterials.

Notonlydoesthishelpshopperstrustyourbrand,butitalsoboosts your search engine optimization (SEO).ReviewsprovidesearchengineswithfreshcontentthatGooglecanusetojudgetheinterestpeoplehaveinyourbrand.ReviewsalsomakeyourcustomersworkasanarmyoflinkbuildersandkeywordwriterswhocanshapeyourSEOstructurewithoutyouhavingtoliftafinger.

According to Yotpo, if the feedback on a site is entirely positive, 95% of

visitors believe the reviews are fake or company-

screened.

! FUn FACTS

According to a report by the Baymard Institute, 69% of all consumers

abandon their shopping cart, often for a number of very predictable reasons.

! FUn FACTS

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SOCIAL PROMOTIONAswementionedearlier,user-generatedcontentcanincreaseCTRsforFacebookadsbyupto300%.Onereasonuser-generatedcontentworkssowellisthatsocialmediaisbecomingmoreandmoresaturatedbybrandsthatarecompetingforeachuser’sattention.Asaresult,mostsocialmediaplatformsarebecomingstuffedfullofads,andusersareincreasinglystartingtoignorethem.

Althoughitmayseemcounterintuitive,onewayfore-commercebrandstostandoutisbyhavingless-producedads.Simplyusingtheirphotosandcommentsastheadcreativeitselfcancreateauthenticityforyourad.Thismeansthatauserislesslikelytoidentifyyouradasanad.

COLLECTING CREATIVE CONTENTSolicitingcreativeuser-generatedcontentcanbechallenging.Thetricktogettinggoodusercontentiscreatinggoodcontentprompts.Ratherthanaskingacustomertosimplytakeapictureofyourproduct,youshouldgiveyourcustomersathemethatcanprovidethemwithdirection.Ifyouaresellingmakeup,forinstance,youcanaskyouruserstotakeselfiesbeforetheygooutonthetown.IfyouaresellingcraftingmaterialsorDIYkits,youcanaskforpicturesofyourcustomers’finishedprojects.

Ifyoudoaskyourcustomerstoprovideyouwithcontent,besuretogivethemsomethinginreturn.Runningcontestsforfreeproductsisagreatwaytoincentivizeyourusers.Infact,63%ofconsumerssaidtheywouldbelikelytosharealinkforaholidaycontest.Ifyoustartcollectinguser-generatedcontentearly,you’llbeinabetterpositiontoleverageitlaterintheyear.

As we mentioned earlier, user-generated content

can increase CTRs for Facebook ads by up to

300%.

! FUn FACTS

63% of consumers said they would be likely to

share a link for a holiday contest.

! FUn FACTS

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CONCLUSIONS AND TAKEAWAYSAswe’veseeninthepreviouschapters,therealkeytocreatingasuccessfulholidaycampaignisstartingsoonerratherthanlater.Notonlyplanningearly,whichmostmarketersalreadydo,butstartingearlyinyourprospecting,testing,andoverallrelationshipbuilding.

AfterlookingattheaverageCPMsfortheyear,it’seasytoseethattherearehugeopportunitiestostretchyourmarketingbudgetbystartingyourprospectingearly.BytakingadvantageofthoselowerCPMs,youcanbuildyourretargetingpoollongbeforeyou’rereadytoselltoyournewaudience.Then,oncetheholidaysareinfullswing,youradswillrunmoreefficientlysinceyou’llberetargetinganaudienceyou’vealreadyvettedinQ3.TakingadvantageofAdRollProspectingisaneasydecisionthatanymarketercanmakerightaway.

Beforetheholidaysrollaround,it’salsoveryimportanttotakecareofyourtesting.NotonlytestingCTAsandadcollateral,butalsomicro-testingallaspectsofyourretailandmobilepages.

It’sclearthatgettingyoursitesmobilereadyisagoodmovetomakewhenimprovingyourholidaycampaigns.Buttroubleshootingthemobileexperiencetakesalotoftimeandtesting,soit’sbesttobeginworkingonitduringtheslowseasonwhenmistakesarelesscostly.

Beyondthetechnicalaspectsofloweringcosts,though,theothertrendwediscoveredwhenplanningthisholidayguidewastheimportanceofrelationshipbuilding.AswesawwithBitly’sinfluencercampaigns,ittakestimetobuildtrustworthyrelationshipswiththepartnersyouwanttoworkwith.Tryingtojump-startarelationshipduringthehecticholidayseasonwheneveryoneisbusyortravelingcanbecomeanuphillbattle.Tosaveyourselftheheadachesofmisplacedemailsandslowresponsetimes,beginbuildingthoserelationshipsnowwhiletheseasonisslower.

Rememberthatwhenitcomestobuildingaholidayretailcampaign,it’snotaboutbeingperfect;it’saboutiteratingovertime.Startingnowandsculptingyourcampaignoveralongerperiodoftimeisthebestwaytoimproveyouroverallholidaysuccess.

Togetstartedwithyourholidayplanning,besuretograbourHolidayChecklistandInteractiveHolidayCalendar.

Accordingtoa2016studybyFacebookIQ,60%ofshopperssaytheyplantostartmakingmorepurchasesontheirsmartphones,and54%ofthosepeoplesaythey’remorelikelytoshopwitharetailerthatmakesiteasytobuyonseveraldevices.

AUTHORS:

AdRollisaleadingperformancemarketingplatformwithover35,000clientsworldwide.Itssuiteofhigh-performancetoolsworksacrossdevices,helpingbusinessesattract,convert,andgrowtheircustomerbase.Thecompanyishometotheworld’slargestopt-inadvertiserdataco-op,theIntentMap™withover1.2billiondigitalprofiles.AdRoll’sgoalistobuildthemostpowerfulmarketingplatformthroughperformance,usability,andopenness.

AdRollisheadquarteredinSanFrancisco,withofficesinChicago,NewYork,Tokyo,London,Dublin,andSydney.Learnmoreatwww.adroll.com.

Bitlyisusedbybusinessesaroundtheworldtobuildstrongerconnectionswiththeircustomersacrosseverydigitalchannel.Withanenterprise-gradeLinkManagementPlatform,Bitlyconnectseverycomponentofacompany’sinternalandexternalcommunicationsandofferstools,dataandanalyticsfortransparencyandcontroloverthecustomerexperience.

Selzisasimplee-commerceplatformdesignedtohelpentrepreneurscreateonlinestores,sellfromexistingwebsites,orsellthroughsocialnetworks.Selzgivesyouallthetoolsyouneedtobuildyouronlinepresence,sellyourproducts,markettoyourcustomers,andtracksales.It’sseriouslysimpleselling.

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