15 things to keep in mind when designing your holiday marketing plan

The holidays are just around the corner, which means so is the shopping season. With spending expected to reach $923.15 billion, according to a report by eMarketer, participation in revenue sharing is a must for all businesses ahead of the holiday season.

While the holidays are notoriously a big-spend time of year, marketing to these consumers needs to be strategic because you’re competing with more advertising than usual.

Below, 15 members of the Forbes Agency Council discuss some of the most important things your brand should keep in mind when planning your marketing campaign this holiday season. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Your campaign should reflect today’s realities

In addition to devastation, recent hurricanes have also brought with them an opportunity for brands to emerge heroically. This holiday season, advertising should aim to reposition the products and services we all want and need. Don’t sell a Mercedes, offer an escape. Don’t sell insurance, sell protection. A cell phone shouldn’t be about entertainment, it should be about connectivity. -Anthony Trimino, TRAFFIK

2. Free shipping is essential

In a world dominated by Amazon, it’s incredibly difficult for businesses to compete for holiday shopping if they don’t offer free shipping. – Brian SullivanSullivan Brand

3. You will probably be ignored

Unless you find what’s valuable to your audience and offer an exchange to them, you’ll be completely drowned in holiday chaos. Start with what you have that makes life better for your target audience and do it from their perspective. Your campaign should flow from it. – Joanne KimMarcus Thomas LLC

4. Continuous improvement is key

Optimize and enrich your campaigns with data. Avoid major changes, pivots or reform efforts just before the holiday season. You want enough trail to be completely stable when the rush of new business hits the checkout page. Look at last year’s data and optimize your approach for this year. – Andy EtemadiEYEMAGINE

5. Emotional connection breeds success

Most consumers make decisions based on their emotions. It is important for brands to understand how to create a customer relationship, especially for the holidays, because it is a season where friendship, love, happiness and many other emotions are shared. By creating an emotional connection with the brand, success is generated. – Alex Quindrone

6. Mobile transactions are constantly increasing

Don’t let motive be an afterthought. Mobile transactions have increased year over year and will continue to increase. Stay in front of your audience with smart mobile ad campaigns and ensure your ads are deeply linked so the experience is simple, streamlined and converts. If your business has a new app, consider adding a loyalty program to drive adoption and tap into the lucrative mobile market. – Katie JansenAppLovin

7. Influencers create the Nag factor

Brands who want their product to be on Santa’s most requested list should remember that influencers make a huge difference by generating a “recall factor”. In a crowded holiday season, shoppers are taking influencer and media recommendations seriously. Leverage and empower a team of influencers from a communications agency to create influencer buzz and ensure your products generate lots of buzz and demand. – Daryl McCulloughRelations with citizens

8. Now is the time to show your personality

For B2B brands, it’s the time of year to have a little fun, and it’s a great opportunity to introduce new technologies, like augmented reality or virtual reality. If you’re going to spend money on greeting cards or gifts, you might as well create something really engaging that reminds people of who you are. – Sarah MannonHiking

9. Sincerity is paramount

The controversial divide in this country runs deep and widens day by day. Authentic brand communications backed by heartfelt attempts at healing will resonate in the holiday spirit. The key is to tastefully highlight the humanity that unites us against the negativity and hatred that divide us. – Stephane Rosa(add) businesses

10. Image is everything

Image is everything. Make sure your campaign features a variety of original brand photos that coincide with your marketing campaign. These are to be used on various social channels, on your website and in advertisements associated with the campaign. – Laura ColeVivial

11. Starting early is key

Brands must know how to start early! More than 40% of consumers say they started their holiday shopping before Halloween, and nearly 40% of women say they finished their holiday shopping before November 1. and expect the greatest savings on these critical days. – Steve DinelliBlackbird Garage

12. Employee involvement is a powerful factor

It’s important to involve your employees in your holiday marketing campaign from the start. Some companies feature their staff in advertisements, while others simply encourage their employees to share the campaign on their social media. However you choose to include your team, don’t ignore the power they have to contribute to the success of the campaign. – Megan ShroyMarketing approach

13. Your audience is looking for ease

Along with the benefits of your product, let your audience know what’s convenient for ordering, returning, assembling, and even paying for it. Your holiday campaign will have to compete with many other messages, and it will run during a hectic time of the year. Make buying your product more appealing to busy and distracted consumers by showcasing your quick and easy shopping process. – Scott GreggoryMadAveGroup

14. You need to tell a cohesive story

Be sure to tell a consistent story from consumers’ research phase (September/October) through to the buying phase, when they actually buy gifts (November/December). Sequential messaging strategies are paramount to achieving this and should be considered for any brand’s campaign. – Preethy Vaidyanathan, Tapad

15. Too many emails hurt your brand

Resist the temptation to send too many emails. Email – because it’s seen as inexpensive, efficient, and most importantly, it works – is often overused during the holidays. Retailers often send up to three messages a day and while this may boost sales in the short term, it’s likely hurting your brand in the long run and impacting the lifetime value of your customers. – Simms JenkinsBrightWave