The holiday season is a critical time for many businesses, making it crucial to avoid common PPC pitfalls that could hinder your holiday marketing success. Let’s explore how to transform these potential perils into presents for your account. This article will provide valuable tips to help you navigate the holiday season and maximize your PPC performance.
1. Avoiding Excessive Spending
While it’s tempting to go all out with increased PPC budgets during the holidays, remember that strategic spending is key. Although bid prices can surge significantly during this period, avoid overinflating your bids and budget beyond your capacity. Think of your holiday PPC campaigns like a sport: physical fitness is essential, but mastering the necessary skills is what guarantees victory. In this analogy, your budget represents your fitness level, while your strategy embodies your skillset. A robust budget can only go so far in PPC; it’s your optimization strategy that ultimately drives success. While a holiday PPC budget increase may be necessary to accommodate increased demand and competition, exercise caution to prevent wasteful spending.
2. Diversifying Your PPC Strategy
Just like the age-old advice of not putting all your eggs in one basket, avoid concentrating your entire PPC budget on a single tactic. While a particular strategy might work well during the off-season, the holiday season calls for a multichannel strategy to effectively reach customers across various devices. Having multiple PPC strategies in place not only provides a safety net if one approach falters but also allows you to capitalize on opportunities across channels.
3. Prioritizing Mobile Advertising
Given the significant mobile audience across PPC channels, a robust mobile PPC strategy is non-negotiable during the holiday season. It’s a well-known fact that mobile plays a crucial role in the customer journey, especially during the holidays. Statistics reveal that a considerable percentage of smartphone shoppers rely on mobile search before visiting physical stores, and a substantial portion are swayed in their brand choices by online searches. A successful holiday PPC strategy incorporates a mobile marketing strategy, ensuring clear ad copy and visually appealing landing pages optimized for mobile screens. Furthermore, consider elevating your mobile marketing game by bidding higher on mobile devices, leveraging app display ads, or implementing mobile-specific campaigns.
4. Embracing Inclusivity
Incorporating diversity and inclusion in your PPC campaigns is paramount, particularly during the holiday season. Research shows that a significant portion 70% are more likely to favor brands that prioritize inclusivity and diversity in their promotional campaigns, even if they don’t personally identify with the represented demographics. To maximize your PPC impact, ensure your ad copy and creative assets resonate with all cultures and winter holidays.
Image source For inspiration, explore our collection of inclusive holiday marketing ideas.
5. Avoiding Untested Strategies
Similar to the advice given to brides and grooms to avoid drastic changes close to their wedding day, high-traffic periods like the holiday season aren’t the time to experiment with unproven PPC strategies. If you’re eager to test new strategies during this time, start small with a limited budget and have a backup plan ready. Conduct thorough research to understand how similar strategies have performed in your industry during the holidays. Auditing your account to evaluate past holiday performance can also help set realistic expectations for new strategies. This is particularly crucial for B2B holiday marketing, which often has a longer sales cycle.
6. Ensuring Landing Page Functionality
The last thing you want during peak season is a landing page riddled with errors. Conduct a thorough landing page audit to ensure seamless operation throughout the holidays. This includes testing forms and purchase processes, refining copy for clarity and conciseness, and proactively addressing potential issues.
7. Preventing Account Issues
With the implementation of Google’s recent 3-strike policy for ad disapprovals, it’s crucial to be extra vigilant. Even if your industry isn’t considered high-risk, meticulously review your ads for grammatical errors, inconsistent links, or low ad strength. Having your entire account suspended during the holidays would be far more detrimental than a few disapproved ads. Double-check your billing information in your account to ensure it’s current. Furthermore, credit card limits can be easily exceeded with increased holiday spending. Ensure that your chosen payment method has a sufficient threshold to accommodate your holiday budget.
8. Tailoring Ad Copy for the Holidays
Embrace the festive spirit and revamp your ad copy for the holidays! Capitalize on the season to captivate your audience with fresh and engaging content. A significant percentage 50% admit that holiday ads influence their purchasing decisions. Failing to run holiday-themed ads means missing out on the significant sales potential this season offers. Infuse your brand’s personality into your holiday copywriting by incorporating authentic and emotionally resonant messaging that resonates with the holiday cheer. For instance, add festive language to your text ads or swap your usual brand colors for holiday hues in your display ads. Regardless of how your business chooses to celebrate the season, your efforts will resonate with an eager holiday audience.
Transforming PPC Mistakes into Holiday Marketing Success!
Don’t believe holiday PPC mistakes are inevitable. By implementing these actionable tips, you can turn potential pitfalls into opportunities:
- Increase bids and budget strategically, only when necessary.
- Embrace a multichannel approach to your PPC strategy.
- Optimize your holiday PPC campaigns for a seamless mobile experience.
- Ensure inclusivity and diversity in your ads.
- Refrain from implementing untested strategies without a safety net.
- Conduct thorough landing page checks to avoid potential issues.
- Proactively resolve any ad disapprovals or payment problems before the season starts.
- Craft compelling holiday copywriting that avoids cliches and resonates with your audience.