Believe it or not, it’s that time of the year again. The holiday season is fast approaching, and for businesses and marketers, it’s time to gear up for the most significant shopping season of the year.
To help you get ready for the upcoming holiday season, we’ve put together this PopStar guide that includes insights into retail trends, and actionable influencer marketing strategies to ensure your holiday campaign is a massive success.
Holiday Campaign
I know it might seem a bit early to start planning for the holidays while we’re still soaking in the summer sun, but trust us, it’s crucial to get ahead of the game. The holiday season is a busy time for everyone, including influencers. They have lives outside of social media, and during the holidays, they’ll be traveling, spending time with family, and taking breaks from content creation.
Moreover, with more brands reaching out to influencers during this time, their schedules are busier than ever. So, starting early is the key. You should have a finalized list of influencers you want to collaborate with for your holiday campaign. It’s a good thing that PopStar is here for you with over 650,000 influencers in our database.
To increase your chances of getting quick responses and securing collaborations, consider working with long-term brand partners with whom you’ve collaborated before. These existing relationships can set you apart from the crowd and ensure that deadlines are met and high-quality content is created.
Keep in mind that response times might be delayed due to the high volume of brand proposals during the holiday season, and influencers may even increase their rates. So, plan your budget accordingly.
Retail Trends to Embrace This Holiday Season
Before we delve into our holiday influencer marketing tips, let’s first discuss how the retail landscape is changing. The current state of the economy is bound to impact consumers’ budgets, shopping habits, and sentiments this holiday season. Shoppers are already becoming more selective, buying fewer items from fewer brands, which indicates both short-term effects of economic uncertainty and long-term shifts toward value and convenience.
In this context, building brand loyalty becomes paramount. Here are the top three trends that retailers are adopting to meet consumers’ evolving needs during the holidays:
Trend #1: Selling Online and In-Store
Over the past two years, brands have heavily emphasized ecommerce due to social distancing measures. Latest studies show that 51% of retail revenue now comes from online sales, with projections indicating a 55% growth rate to over $7.5 trillion in global ecommerce payment transactions by 2026.
However, as the world adapts to the “new normal,” brands should bridge the gap between physical and digital commerce. In-store sales have rebounded by 8.2% in 2021, exceeding $21 trillion, signaling consumers’ desire to shop in person and experience products firsthand. So, while online sales are essential, don’t neglect driving traffic to your brick-and-mortar stores this holiday season.
Trend #2: Incorporating Social Commerce
The future of commerce is undeniably social. Brands, creators, and social media platforms are prioritizing seamless shopping experiences within digital communities. Social commerce involves selling products directly on social media platforms, streamlining the entire shopping process from product discovery to check-out.
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest are making social commerce more accessible with features like Shopify integrations and creator monetization tools. Brands leveraging social commerce are attributing an average of 32% of their sales to this strategy. Furthermore, experts predict that social commerce will grow three times faster than traditional ecommerce in the next four years.
With mobile devices accounting for a significant share of online orders and ecommerce spending, it’s crucial to be fully equipped for mobile shopping and social commerce. Shoppers will be using their phones for holiday gift ideas, outfit inspiration, and more, so ensure your brand is accessible during their product discovery and purchase journey.
Trend #3: Investing in the Post-Purchase Experience
While acquiring new customers is essential, nurturing existing ones is even more critical in today’s challenging economy. Brands are increasingly focusing on the post-purchase experience to build stronger customer relationships, foster brand affinity, and enhance brand loyalty. The goal is to create valuable touchpoints that keep customers engaged and encourage them to return to your brand repeatedly.
By providing ongoing value and enjoyable post-purchase experiences, you can turn newly acquired customers into lifelong brand advocates. Building a strong community of loyal customers through exclusive events and products can also contribute to this effort.
6 Holiday Influencer Marketing Strategies
Now that we’ve covered this year’s retail trends, let’s put these insights into action. This holiday season is all about building brand loyalty and meeting consumers wherever they are, whether it’s online or in physical stores. Here are six influencer marketing strategies to incorporate into your holiday campaign:
1. Offer Discounts Through Affiliates
Given the economic challenges consumers are facing, consider running an influencer affiliate campaign. Provide your influencer partners with unique discount codes to share with their followers and compensate them with commissions for the sales they generate. This win-win approach not only benefits your influencers’ loyal followers but also boosts your sales during these challenging times.
Don’t forget to track all the sales generated through these discount codes, and you can even automate link tracking and affiliate payments to streamline the process.
2. Host a Holiday Giveaway
‘Tis the season of giving, and hosting a holiday-themed giveaway on Instagram is an effective way to increase your brand’s follower count and engagement. Partner with influencers to promote a sponsored giveaway for their audiences, setting entry rules like following your brand account, leaving comments, or sharing the giveaway announcement.
You can even use giveaways to drive foot traffic to your physical stores. Create surprise gift boxes or bundles of products exclusively for in-store visitors and have influencers promote the giveaway with a store locator link.
3. Support a Cause
In addition to giveaways, consider supporting a cause that aligns with your brand’s values during the holiday season. Partner with influencers who share your passion for social justice or environmental sustainability. Collaborate with them to create messaging that drives awareness and raises funds for the chosen cause, highlighting your brand’s commitment.
Consumers increasingly want to support brands that align with their values, so this approach can resonate strongly with your target audience.
4. Run an Allow Listing Campaign
Holiday content is often visually captivating and engaging. Make the most of influencer-generated content (IGC) by repurposing it across various marketing channels, such as your website, organic social media, and emails. To maximize the impact, create allow listed ads by gaining advertiser access to your influencers’ social accounts. This can significantly boost revenue from your holiday ads.
5. Start a Countdown
Generate excitement for your holiday sale or product launch by running a countdown. Have influencers post weekly reminders with sneak peeks of your new products or exclusive deals. Consider offering influencers’ followers early access by signing up or subscribing to your brand’s newsletter, building anticipation for the campaign.
6. Requesting Customer Participation in Your Brand Community
Building a strong post-purchase experience is essential to retaining customers. Invite them to an online brand community, such as a private Facebook group or Slack channel, where they can discuss your products, share tips, and interact with fellow customers. Send relevant content through email newsletters to keep customers engaged, ensuring they stay connected with your brand long after the holiday season ends.
Additionally, consider offering exclusive events and products to create a sense of exclusivity for your most loyal customers, as millennials and Gen Zers value such exclusivity.
Final PopStar Tip
The holidays are just around the corner, and with the evolving retail landscape, early planning is crucial. Collaborating with influencers can help you reach your target audience, boost conversions, and enhance customer retention. So, get ready to make this holiday season a memorable and successful one for your brand. Happy holidays and happy marketing!
Send us a message or contact our Team at contact@pop-star.me for more information on how PopStar can help your influencer marketing here in the Philippines.