As the holiday season approaches, businesses in India and Southeast Asia (SEA) are gearing up for the surge in consumer demand that characterizes this festive time of year.
With festivals and special occasions dotting the calendar, the prospect of increased sales is undeniable.
From Diwali and Christmas to New Year's celebrations, the season presents a golden opportunity for businesses to drive revenue.
In SEA, the unique tradition of double-day sales. The sales take place every month on the double-date days — 1st January, 2nd February, 3rd March, and goes on till 12th December.
And though the sales run every month, sales happening in the last quarter of the year excites customers then most.
This year's holiday season, too, points towards a robust surge in consumer spending, making it a pivotal period for businesses to capitalize on.
Yet, the path to holiday success isn't as simple as just decorating your store and hanging tinsel. Businesses must strategically position themselves to make the most of the seasonal buzz.
And when it comes to reaching potential customers, one marketing strategy stands head and shoulders above the rest: running Google Ads.
In this guide, we'll bring to you six impactful Google Ads strategies that can elevate your business's festive sales to non-linear levels.
Google Ads strategy for the holiday season to double your festive sales
Here are some of the best Google Ads strategies to maximize your results during and around the holiday season:
1. Highlight unique offers and promotions
To rise above the noise and capture the interest of potential customers this holiday season, it's crucial to underline your brand's distinct offers and promotions in your marketing strategies.
You should craft a strategic approach to present your most alluring deals in a way that resonates with your target audience.
You can start by creating compelling ad copies for your Google ads strategy. Your advertisements should not only capture attention but also clearly convey the value of your holiday promotions.
Try to leverage emotive language and persuasive storytelling to evoke a sense of excitement and anticipation in your potential customers.
Creating a sense of exclusivity is also an effective technique to drive conversions during the holiday rush.
For instance, consider offering "Early Bird Diwali" deals or "Limited Quantity Double Day" specials. These time-sensitive and exclusive offers can create a genuine sense of urgency, motivating consumers to make purchase decisions promptly and increasing Average Order Value.
Talking about AOV, you can also run Showcase Shopping Ads — a sub-type of Google Shopping Ads — which allows you to add information about multiple related products. These ads are more likely to appear for general terms like “bathing products” and not “caffeine bath soaps.”
When customers see grouped products, the chances of them liking more than one out of all the products shown increases, which boosts the AOV. Simple math.
2. Incorporate holiday keywords
As the holiday season draws near, the search terms and online queries inevitably shift to reflect the festive spirit.
This presents a golden opportunity for marketers to refine their Google Ads strategy by incorporating holiday-themed keywords, ensuring their ads align seamlessly with the evolving search intent.
The key here is understanding the changing language patterns. Traditional keywords that have served your campaigns well throughout the year might need a seasonal update to remain relevant.
For instance, if your campaign has been centered around the keyword "body care products," consider expanding your keyword portfolio to include terms like "unisex body care products" or "body care products under 1500."
As you can see in the screenshot below — for Bath & Body Works products, if there’s a significant price drop, the ad shows it with a low price tag, which increases the chances of conversion.
These additions tap into the holiday sentiment, positioning your products as ideal solutions for seasonal gifting needs.
Expanding your keyword selection not only keeps your campaigns aligned with the holiday spirit but also boosts the chances of your ads appearing in search results that are most pertinent to holiday shoppers. This strategic alignment can drive higher click-through rates and improve the overall effectiveness of your campaigns.
However, avoid overloading your campaigns with seasonal terms to the point where they become disconnected from your offerings.
Instead, integrate these keywords in a way that enhances your ads' appeal while remaining true to your brand's identity.
3. Leverage smart bidding
Every business aspires to have its ads prominently displayed at the top of Google SERP. This coveted position, however, is not determined solely by monetary bids.
Google employs a rapid and intricate ad auction process, occurring whenever a search is conducted on the platform or a website hosting ads is visited.
The mechanics behind these digital auctions are multifaceted, encompassing various parameters that extend beyond the mere size of the bid.
Three primary elements that determine the placement of your ad are:
Your Bid: This represents the upper limit you're willing to pay for a click on your ad.
Ad Quality: The auction mechanism also evaluates the pertinence and utility of your ad for the intended audience.
Ad Extensions and Formats: The impact expected from supplementary information, such as phone numbers and specific webpage links, is another determining factor.
This is where Smart Bidding — Google's automated conversion-centric bidding strategy — comes in. Capable of swift adaptations in real-time, Smart Bidding keeps a close watch over signals traversing Google's entire digital existence.
What distinguishes smart bidding is its ability to understand shifts in consumer behavior and align with specific shopping campaign objectives.
Crucially, it can prevent instances of being outbid, ensuring your ads retain their prominence even during periods of heavy competition.
4. Set up remarketing ads
When you’re shopping online and exploring various websites, you stumble upon a website with items you like, but you don't make a purchase just yet. Then, as if by magic, you start seeing ads from that same website everywhere you go online. How does that happen?
This magic is a Google ad strategy called remarketing.
This smart advertising technique allows you to show ads to people who have already visited your website but haven't made a purchase.
If someone visited your website, they must have been interested in what you offer. By reaching out to these interested visitors with tailored ads, you're giving them another chance to consider your products. And because they already know you, they’re more likely to make a purchase.
Remarketing ads can also help save you some bucks as you're targeting people who already know you. They're more likely to click on your ads — boosting "click-through rate" (CTR), which can lower your ad costs.
5. Use Google Ads Extension
There are many reasons for using Google Ads extensions. Firstly, they’re free. And they also give your target audience more information about your products, which makes the ads more interactive. And the more your customers interact with your ads, the more likely they are to convert.
Google Ads extensions can be categorized into Sitelink, Call, Location, Offer, and App extension.
5.1. Sitelink Extensions
These extensions enhance your ad's visibility and offer extra links to your website. By doing so, they present your audience with more gripping reasons to click through.
5.2. Call Extensions
With these extensions, you can incorporate your phone number directly into your ad, which provides the users with an immediate and convenient means to get in touch with your business. This is particularly beneficial if you have a responsive customer service team ready to engage and convert potential customers.
5.3. Location Extensions
Including your physical location and phone number within your ad allows Google to give searchers a map to navigate your business quickly. This feature is especially valuable for companies with physical storefronts, catering effectively to search queries like "near me."
5.4. Offer Extensions
For businesses running ongoing promotions, Offer Extensions can be a game-changer. They entice users to choose your ad over others when they perceive your offerings as discounted compared to competitors.
5.5. App Extensions
For mobile users, App Extensions provides a direct link to download your app. This streamlines the process, eliminating the need for users to initiate a new search in the App Store, reducing friction, and increasing the likelihood of app adoption.
By using suitable ad extensions, you can reach your target audience on a more granular level and will also see a rise in the number of conversions.
6. Leverage local and global inventory ads
Running local inventory ads is a savvy way to get more people through your eCommerce store doors.
When visitors click a Google Ad and then hit up your store, they're more likely to buy.
Now, here's a cool trick: dayparting. You can make your ads show up only when your store is open. So, when your store lights are on, your ads are on, too. Perfect for those super-busy shopping days like Diwali, Christmas, or the Double Day Sales.
If you expect more foot traffic on your shopping campaigns on weekends or just after the holiday shipping cutoffs, you can give your local inventory ads a little boost. Maybe create some extra ads or bump up your budget. This way, when more shoppers are out and about, your products are right there, waving "hello!"
And you can also leverage Google’s global reach, which allows you to offer Shopping Ads in 37 countries. And many of these countries are English-speaking, so you don’t even need to change ad copies.
Google Shopping Ads even convert the prices of your products into the local currency of your buyers. So, if you can handle the logistics of international deliveries, Shopping Ads will expand your holiday sale opportunities exponentially.
7. Leverage AI for optimization
When it comes to Google Ads strategy, there's no room for a "set-it-and-forget-it" mindset. The digital landscape requires constant monitoring and adjustment. This is where AI steps in.
AI-powered marketing tools like Graas platform are like your personal marketing assistant. They keep a close eye on campaign performance and swiftly adapt to market shifts in real-time. This tool uses sophisticated AI engines to optimize your ad spends, comprehend ad interactions, and supercharge conversion rates.
Moreover, AI goes beyond just tweaking ads; it delves into inventory management — predicting purchase patterns and forecasting festive sales trends.
With this insight, AI ensures that your inventory isn't just aligned with demand but anticipates customer preferences before they even make a choice.
What does this mean for your customers? It means they can trust your brand as a guiding star. Your recommendations will be so spot-on that they become their go-to choice. The power of AI doesn't just streamline your operations; it transforms the customer experience.
When your shopping campaigns are intuitive, and your products are always aligned with their desires, loyalty naturally follows.
As the holiday season dawns upon us, the race to capture consumer attention and drive festive sales intensifies by the day. The mantra for success? Start early with your Google ad strategy.
And we’re not talking about just running ads. The real magic lies in constant adaptation.
With the right strategies and tools in place, you can shape your brand's journey to resonate with customers and forge lasting connections.
But here's a game-changer: the Graas Performance Marketing Solution. It's more than just a tool; it's a comprehensive solution that guides eCommerce brands toward triumph.
With a strategic approach, predictive AI insights, and cost coverage for ads, you can have an expert navigator by your side, ensuring your campaigns not only perform but shine bright during the holiday hustle.
Learn more about Graas Performance Marketing!
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