Hard to believe, but the holiday shopping season is right around the corner. No worries though, digital marketing technology firm Kenshoo has got marketers covered with tips-a-plenty for getting ahead of the competition in the most critical season for retailers.
Capitalize on the Unique Advantage of Shopping Campaigns and Dynamic Product Ads
- 52 percent of retail searchers on the Yahoo Bing Network are unique to Bing, with a calculated market share of 29 percent. Capture their attention with prominent Product Ads. Bing Shopping Campaigns allow the import of Google campaign structures.
- Expand product-specific advertising efforts with Facebook’s Dynamic Product Ads. The latest enhancements enable more targeted up-sell and cross-sell opportunities showing complementary products to past purchasers. Extend reach into the Facebook Audience Network to engage across the mobile app ecosystem.
Embrace the Increasing Importance of Mobile and Cross-Device
- Amazon reported: “nearly 60 percent of Amazon.com customers shopped using a mobile device this [past] holiday,” noting that mobile shopping gained momentum at season’s end.
- Kenshoo found mobile devices (phones and tablets) accounted for 48 percent of clicks and 28 percent of conversions across global retail paid search advertising last season. Expect mobile conversions to continue to rise as retailers refine campaigns.
- Remember to invest in cross-device tracking and attribution strategies to feed optimization decisions.
Leverage Emerging Channels and Formats for Competitive Advantage and Cost-effective Ad Volume
- New advertising options may provide an advantage during amplified competition. Consider buy buttons, Instagram Ads, and Yahoo Gemini.
- Buy Buttons emerged on Pinterest, Twitter, and Google, among others. These could entice shoppers, and ultimately give retailers who activate them an edge.
- Instagram recently announced its advertising offering. Calls-to-action like “Shop Now,” combined with visual ads can captivate new audiences and drive them to action.
- Gemini’s focus on native mobile offers new avenues for advertisers to connect with and engage consumers.
First and Foremost, Focus on the Customer First
- No matter the media mix this holiday season, make sure the customer comes first.
- Inform strategies with data to reach shoppers at the right time with the right message and compelling creative. For example, consider using paid search clicks to automatically create Facebook campaigns.
- Focus on personalizing their experience.