PPC | PAID SEARCH | 2024 holiday marketing: Top SEO and PPC tips for a short shopping season

Article by Adam Riemer

This year’s shopping season is unusually short. Instead of the normal four and a half to five weeks, we have just 27 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. On top of that:

Hanukkah starts on Christmas, and Kwanzaa is on the day after.
Christmas and Hannukah are on Wednesdays, eliminating the ease of shopping retail over the weekend for last-minute gifts. E-gifts and gift cards may be in demand.
It’s an election year in the U.S.
The previous election was during the pandemic, so shopping habits and promotions are not comparable

The shorter shopping period means the last shipping day deadline is earlier, there’s less time to clear inventory for 2025 and fewe ad space and promotions available will increase costs.

There’s also good news that will make your life easier as a marketer.

You don’t have to separate holiday campaigns this year, saving time and money. They can use an all-encompassing message with each religion in one, including Solstice, which occurs on December 21 this year.
Your email campaigns apply to all holiday customers, so there is less design work, split testing and fewer deadlines.
The last day to ship is the same for everyone saving you additional calendar reminders.
Media will matter and markups haven’t started because many people haven’t realized it’s a short year yet, so you can get solid deals by reserving space now.

Here are a few ways you can prepare for the holiday season by marketing channels:

(Note: I left out SMS, email and social media because they can benefit from a combination of the above.)

Niche sites, influencers and publishers

Niche sites, influencers and media companies create content for small business Saturday, have round-ups sharing the best of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as well as listicles of the best XYZ.

The ability to share specific products is limited as you only have so many videos that can be filmed and placements to publish without chasing fans away. With fewer days until free shipping and time to publish, now is the time to line up the lists.

Consider the following when planning your editorial calendar.

Which niches or industries take more time to ship, as free shipping is a huge part of the consumer decision process. Line those up sooner in the season. This includes furniture, made-to-order gifts and print-on-demand products.
With limited time to publish shopping lists, send email blasts and do social media posts, try increasing your pricing because you have to make up for the lack of quantity this year.
Pay attention to trends and interests earlier this year to line up sponsorships based on consumer demand. The “it” toys and gifts will always be included. Find the unique ones with similar or the same audience demographics and mix those in.

The uniqueness of your lists will stand out compared to the big media companies that mostly feature big brands, as the big brands may be paying big bucks to be featured.

By targeting a similar buyer base and including products they want, rather than relying on big brand budgets, you can achieve more conversions with affiliate and paid sponsorship links, encouraging them to make another media purchase.