Marketers put major effort into preparing for the onset of the holiday shopping season, now in full swing, but the advance planning of search campaigns isn’t over when the holiday season hits. Smart marketers plan to adjust campaigns as the season progresses, as the nature of what’s successful changes as the season nears its close, according to findings from search marketing provider OneUpWeb.
“Whatever the budget, marketers are trying to maximize campaign efficiency. And with pay-per-click campaigns they can make changes mid-season, savings thousands,” says OneUpWeb CEO Lisa Wehr.
For example, as the holidays approach, inventory and shipping become more important to those looking online for gifts, and search campaigns should be adjusted accordingly, according to OneUpWeb. Wehr advises marketer clients to periodically test the performance of on-time ads as the holiday nears. “There will be a time when suddenly those ads perform significantly better than other campaigns,” she says.
And when items can no longer be delivered in time for the holiday, marketers need to be ready with a new strategy. Options include turning off search campaigns, with the idea that the marketer doesn’t need to spend more on clicks just to disappoint customers. Other options include offering those willing to accept delivery post-holiday a “sale" price generally saved for after the holiday, or using the campaign to drive web shoppers to the marketer’s brick and mortar channel.
Marketers inclined to turn off campaigns on Dec. 26 should think again, the experience of OneUpWeb’s marketer clients suggest. The company notes comScore data showing a minor peak in shopping the first week in January. Marketers should develop post-holiday campaigns to take advantage of this activity, Wehr notes.
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