Why an Instagram Ads Campaign is wrong for your business this holiday season

Instagram is extremely saturated, and this bolsters during the festive season. There are 13% of Instagram users on the planet, and 80% of these social media users follow brands. These companies all have the same idea of utilizing Instagram to sell their products, and ramping it up during the holiday season. However, these Instagram users will be overwhelmed with posts, it will be easy for these customers to miss stories or posts.

Advertising for your business is extremely important during the holiday shopping season, specifically October through to December. You must be spending your companies’ money on the most beneficial form of advertising, which I can assure you is not Instagram during this time of the year. The alternatives that you should invest time and money into using are text advertising , email marketing and other forms of social media.  

Personalised text messages to previous customers with self -gifting rhetoric are the best form of advertising during the holiday season. These messages should also create a sense of urgency to the customer, by using language such as ‘this week only…act now’. This persuasive language compels shoppers into thinking there is a irresistible deal that they cannot refuse.

Email marketing personalises messages to current or previous customers. This approach  makes customers feel valued, and as though they are one of the only people being offered these deals. This augments the likeliness of the customer buying your products during the Christmas season, as they will feel more inclined to purchase from companies that value their loyalty.  Although email marketing is considered old school amongst some marketers, it is arguably one of the most effective marketing tactics that should be applied during the months leading up to Christmas. Email marketing grabs the attention of shoppers (if these emails are promotional).  These emails sent out to customers should be more engaging, aggressive in marketing tactics and louder than the usual emails typically sent out. There will inevitably be competitors in your industry whom are also utilizing email marketing, however since these promotional messages are sent directly to customers emails, it is far more likely they will view your advertising in comparison to the Instagram newsfeed.

89% of social media users are predicted to purchase their Christmas shopping through online platforms. Evidently, social media is still a valuable and effective marketing tool to utilize during the Christmas season, however, only if used correctly and if it is a platform not too saturated. Facebook lives are a current trend that has augmented in popularity ensuing from the pandemic. Explaining your companies promotional holiday deals and products on a Facebook live is recommended. This is because customers that follow your brand on Facebook receive a notification when you go live; assuring that they will see this form of advertising. Interacting with consumers via live video is also engaging, meaning the viewer will most likely absorb the information pertaining to your companies deals.

Don’t waste money, time and effort on the most saturated platform during this holiday season. The most essential element of marketing during October to December is that your consumers view your advertisements. Ensure your marketing is not going to waste by promoting on the recommended social media platform (Facebook) and directly messaging customers via email marketing or text message.

Image Source: Shutterstock-1171276837