Plan holiday marketing campaigns before fall
A recent study published in Direct Marketing News found businesses that market holiday shopping near Black Friday - the day after Thanksgiving - have missed the boat.
"Consumers want that 'big purchase' offer the first week in November," the report said, noting that planning an early holiday marketing strategy will be key for businesses that want to thrive in the fourth quarter of 2012 and beyond.
Because holiday marketing response and engagement rates are typically high, experts suggest doing multi-channel marketing around the same times this year. This can include sending a direct mail campaign and scheduling other forms of promotion - such as email or a phone call - to happen on the same day.
Repeat marketing tactics, such as reminder mailings, are usually welcome to recipients who want to save money during a certain offer or promotion. Money-minded people also welcome more mailings in the weeks after Christmas through mid-January, as businesses typically promote lower costs and specials in the communications.
Businesses looking to send effective direct mail campaigns before the holiday season may want to plan mailer strategies by the end of this summer or by early fall, including a web-to-print design strategy to make the mail stand out against other holiday mailers.