The holiday season is a magical time; twinkling lights, peppermint mochas, and a rush of new leads pouring into your business. But what happens when the holiday rush fades and those leads go cold? That’s where the power of marketing automation shines as bright as a string of festive lights. For small and medium sized businesses, the opportunity to use marketing automation during the holidays can turn once a year shoppers into long term loyal customers.
What Exactly is Marketing Automation?
Marketing automation refers to using software tools to automate repetitive marketing tasks like sending emails, segmenting leads, posting on social media, and tracking customer behavior. These tools allow you to build targeted campaigns and workflows that operate behind the scenes, freeing up your time while keeping your audience engaged. When you use marketing automation effectively, you create a seamless experience that nurtures leads through the sales funnel and boosts conversions with less manual effort.
Capture the Holiday Spirit, Then Keep It Going
First, let’s set the scene. You’ve worked hard to attract leads with holiday promos, special discounts, and festive messaging. Now, it’s time to use marketing automation to keep the momentum going. By setting up automated email sequences, you can guide your new leads through the customer journey with personalized messages, product recommendations, and helpful content, all without lifting a mitten covered finger.
Start with a holiday themed welcome series. When someone signs up for your email list or makes a first time purchase, send a warm, festive greeting followed by a series of emails that introduce your brand, share your best sellers, and showcase what makes your business unique. This not only builds trust but helps your brand stay top of mind long after the tree comes down.
Create a Sleigh Full of Workflows
If you’re ready to use marketing automation to its full potential, it’s time to create workflows that match different lead behaviors. For example:
- Cart Abandonment Workflow: Send friendly reminders and maybe even a holiday themed discount to leads who left items in their cart.
- Post Purchase Follow Up: Automate thank you emails, review requests, and recommendations based on their recent purchase.
- Re-engagement Sequences: If a lead hasn’t opened an email in a while, send a “We miss you!” message with a festive offer to rekindle the spark.
These workflows ensure your leads feel seen and valued, which increases their likelihood of returning.
Add a Sprinkle of Personalization
During the holidays, people crave connection. By using dynamic content and segmentation in your automated emails, you can tailor your messaging based on customer behavior, location, or preferences. This allows you to use marketing automation to deliver the right message at the right time, and feel like you’re speaking directly to each customer.
For example, if someone purchased a cozy winter candle, send them a “You might also love…” email with related products. If a lead downloaded your holiday gift guide, follow up with curated gift suggestions. These little touches make a big difference in building long term loyalty.
Think Beyond December
The ultimate goal of your holiday campaigns shouldn’t just be short term sales, it should be long term relationships. When you use marketing automation to consistently communicate with leads after the holidays, you keep your brand relevant all year long. Whether it’s sending birthday discounts, seasonal updates, or exclusive sneak peeks, your automations can do the heavy lifting while you focus on growing your business.
Ready to Make the Most of Your Holiday Leads?
Want help turning holiday magic into year round customer loyalty? Contact Water Bear Marketing for all your marketing needs. From setting up automated email sequences to building smart workflows that increase customer lifetime value, we’re here to help you use marketing automation effectively and creatively. And the best part? We offer a free advertising consultation to get you started.
This season, give yourself the gift of automation, and unwrap the potential for growth well into the New Year.
