Holidays are Here!
Last year, we were prepping for an unprecedented year. Many were spending holidays apart from their loved ones, avoiding in-store shopping, and delivering holiday cheer through the mail.
The result? To no one’s surprise, the e-commerce market had massive growth. According to data from Adobe Analytics, the last holiday season saw two years’ worth of growth in a single year, increasing by 32% with a total of $188.2 billion in revenue.
This year, people are starting to come back together and looking forward to a return to normal. However, 2021 has its own set of challenges. Supply chain shortages, margin pressures, material shortages, just to name a few. All these issues are turning Ho, Ho, Ho into Oh No No, before Black Friday / Cyber 5 even begins.
Here are a few tips to incorporate into your 2021 Holiday Season planning:
1. Promotions: Offer strong promotions for all of November and December. You are up against strong competition this year. Please work with Highland Marketers, Carol + Dylan to solidify your promotions early. The news media is already telling consumers to buy early due to supply chain shortages. Let’s take advantage and strike early and often.
2. Inventory: Be transparent. Instead of pre-selling your inventory, list the inventory you have available to sell. This will keep your fulfillment metrics up and your customers satisfied.
3. Holiday Closure: Have a plan for any holiday warehouse closures? Please send us your closure dates and we will insure all your customers are up to date so it can be marked accordingly within each portal.
4. Ramp up customer service and support before and AFTER the holidays. Remember, consumers are more likely to leave a bad review than a good review, and customer service issues are frequently cited in reviews.
5. Gift Card: January is the gift that doesn’t stop giving. Early January sales events are a great kick-off to the year. The Highlands Marketing team will be talking to you about ad plans during our next call.
Happy Selling!!!
– Kristin
Writing Calls To Action That Work
While it’s important to have eye-catching headlines to hook a reader, getting your potential customer to take action after reading copy is another story. That’s where a CTA (Call to Action) comes in. A CTA is used to prompt your audience to take a specific action, whether that’s buying a product, signing up for a membership, or more. You can find a CTA on websites, landing pages, emails, ads, social media, and more. Here are some helpful tips on how to create a strong CTA.
Set the Foundation
Before you create your CTA you need to set the foundation by determining what your goal is and who your target audience is. Are you trying to make a sale or get people to sign up for a newsletter? What are the interests of your target audience? Once you determine the answer to “why” and “who” you’ll be ready to create a CTA that will actually work.
Keep it Above the Fold
A CTA can easily get lost on a website or landing page if they aren’t visible to readers prior to them scrolling down the page. As a result, a CTA will work most effectively when they live above the fold. Use images, graphics, and logos alongside your CTA to catch the reader’s attention.
Give Your Audience a Reason
A generic CTA, like “Buy Now” or “Subscribe Now”, are great for directing your audience towards the action you’d like them to take, but they fail to give them an actual reason to do so. Make sure your CTA stands out by adding value, such as “Buy Now for 20% Off” or “Sign Up for Exclusive Offers and Discounts.” This will give your audience more incentive to follow through and will ultimately make your CTA more successful.
Create a Sense of Urgency
People are far more likely to respond to your CTA if they feel they’re running out of time. Consider including language such as “limited time only” or “only a few left in stock” to push your audience to take action in that moment rather than holding off until later.
For help creating a powerful CTA, contact us!
