The run up to Christmas can be a frantic time for all businesses as, prices begin to plummet and advertising gradually winds up in a bid to attract both online and offline customers. PPC advertising over the Christmas period requires plenty of preparation and the following tips should aid with any companies run up to the busy festive period.
When it comes to PPC advertising, it is not just December that needs to be taken into consideration. From as early as the end of October, online shoppers are beginning to window shop for gift ideas. So remember to bear this in mind when planning for monthly budgets as you will undoubtedly see the number of clicks and overall costs rise during the early parts of winter.
But if you are trying to ensure you turn these researchers into buyers sooner in your campaign, you need to ensure you offer the right incentive. This could be a financial reward such as a discount on initial purchase or next order. Another key influencer that also works at this time as more people shop for the same product is availability, so play this card as much as you can.
Alongside planning, it's also important to review the ads and special offers that your competitors are displaying, but don’t rely fully on copying what they do. Make sure that your pricing and offers provide you with a suitable ROI (volume sales versus no sales - always a challenge) and your ad copy best represents the page customers are clicking to. You don’t want traffic that doesn’t convert, so try to pre-qualify your visitors with your ad copy that is clear what you are offering.
Bid management is another important part of a PPC campaign. The last two months of the year can always be unpredictable when it comes to your bid management. If you have automated processes in place, ensure that you also have someone on hand to make adjustments when necessary. Keyword terms that might not be popular for the whole year, such as those related to 'Christmas sale banners' or “Santas grotto”, might suddenly peak and you don’t want to wait until January before you’re hit with a big bill or even find out you have spent all your budget at the wrong time.
Regardless of what is for sale, it is important to highlight the last possible delivery days to customers. Although you might be open for the entire Christmas period, chances are that postal and courier services will be disrupted or closed. Ensure that this is highlighted in your ads, especially for keyword terms that are traditionally popular at Christmas.
Post Christmas, ensure that any January sale prices and messages have taken over and you return bids and focus to their usual standings. Probably the most important thing to remember is to analyse your success over the Christmas period and especially reviewing any shortfalls. Christmas comes but once every 365 days and the lessons learnt from the previous year play an all important role in the strategies of the following year.
From bid management to budget planning, there's a lot to think about when it comes to running a Christmas PPC campaign. With a little planning and forward thinking however, it's possible to retain complete control over your campaign, ensuring a quality Christmas trading period.
When it comes to PPC advertising, it is not just December that needs to be taken into consideration. From as early as the end of October, online shoppers are beginning to window shop for gift ideas. So remember to bear this in mind when planning for monthly budgets as you will undoubtedly see the number of clicks and overall costs rise during the early parts of winter.
But if you are trying to ensure you turn these researchers into buyers sooner in your campaign, you need to ensure you offer the right incentive. This could be a financial reward such as a discount on initial purchase or next order. Another key influencer that also works at this time as more people shop for the same product is availability, so play this card as much as you can.
Alongside planning, it's also important to review the ads and special offers that your competitors are displaying, but don’t rely fully on copying what they do. Make sure that your pricing and offers provide you with a suitable ROI (volume sales versus no sales - always a challenge) and your ad copy best represents the page customers are clicking to. You don’t want traffic that doesn’t convert, so try to pre-qualify your visitors with your ad copy that is clear what you are offering.
Bid management is another important part of a PPC campaign. The last two months of the year can always be unpredictable when it comes to your bid management. If you have automated processes in place, ensure that you also have someone on hand to make adjustments when necessary. Keyword terms that might not be popular for the whole year, such as those related to 'Christmas sale banners' or “Santas grotto”, might suddenly peak and you don’t want to wait until January before you’re hit with a big bill or even find out you have spent all your budget at the wrong time.
Regardless of what is for sale, it is important to highlight the last possible delivery days to customers. Although you might be open for the entire Christmas period, chances are that postal and courier services will be disrupted or closed. Ensure that this is highlighted in your ads, especially for keyword terms that are traditionally popular at Christmas.
Post Christmas, ensure that any January sale prices and messages have taken over and you return bids and focus to their usual standings. Probably the most important thing to remember is to analyse your success over the Christmas period and especially reviewing any shortfalls. Christmas comes but once every 365 days and the lessons learnt from the previous year play an all important role in the strategies of the following year.
From bid management to budget planning, there's a lot to think about when it comes to running a Christmas PPC campaign. With a little planning and forward thinking however, it's possible to retain complete control over your campaign, ensuring a quality Christmas trading period.
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