Monday, November 26, 2012

E-blasting A Strong Finish to the Holiday Season


Every retailer has goals and objectives regarding their expectations for the holiday season.  Sales are predicted to be better than last year and retailers are anticipating 4% increases.
Although holiday shopping is predicted to increase over last year, what is your plan of action in case it doesn’t?  Black Friday is the day retailers are expected to go from the red to the black, but what happens if your weekend closed below what you were expecting?  It's be too late to launch an effective holiday shopping campaign, but there are some simple things you can do to drive sales in-house that can receive instant response in the market.
Social media is instant and targets people who already likely enjoy your product.  You can post special discounts and promotions to drive those existing customers back into the store.  Use this tool to remind them how much you value them as your customer and give them reasons to shop for their loved ones with you.  Use social media to push any new products you have and also re-educate your audience about the old ones.
By now you likely have a customer database of e-mail addresses for e-marketing.  Take time to set aside an e-blast contingency plan.  If your sales do not go as planned, you will already have a plan in place that takes just a click to launch.
·      Tie your e-blasting in with your social media
·      Encourage your subscribers to share your posts with their friends
·      Follow through with a few revised versions to remind your consumers
Planning ahead will allow you to instantly react to changes in the market.  While sales are predicted to rise over last year, there are no guarantees.  As we have seen through the recent hurricane, things can change at the drop of a hat and negatively impact sales.  Being proactive will give you the advantage over your competition.

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