With all the uncertainties and questions that Covid-19 has raised this year, we asked the experts to share their top content and marketing advice for online business this Christmas.
Jesse Schoberg, CEO at DropInBlog
Content is the long game and so it's not as simple as saying, write a couple of quick articles. Jesse advises that for now, with it being so close to Christmas, it is better to double down on the content you already have. Beef it up and create very clear calls to action and link them directly to your products and or services.
Jesse Schoberg previously featured on Ep 30 and you can connect with him on LinkedIn.
Neil Roberts, CPO at Papier
Thanks to Covid, it is very likely that we will see up to 90% of Christmas shopping happening online. Prepare your suppliers and forecast volumes based on level of demand. You don't want high stock levels hanging around and you certainly don't want your customers waiting around for your stock.
Businesses pushing physical products will likely be using the same shipping companies. This will create challenges and Neil advises that businesses are clear in their communication with their customers so that they are aware of last shipping days to all the different countries and regions.
Neil Roberts previously featured on Ep 31 and you can connect with him on LinkedIn.
Kath Pay, Founder and CEO at Holistic Email Marketing
A/B test your email campaigns. A/B testing, also known as split testing, is a way of understanding which email campaigns are the most effective in encouraging clicks. You have got to understand why one particular campaign is more effective than the other because it helps you move your business forward.
It isn't good enough to just do what you've always done - especially this Christmas because things are so different while we contend with this pandemic and all the changes it has brought. Start with a blank slate and be prepared to redevelop.
Kath Pay previously featured on Ep 35 and you can connect with him on LinkedIn.
Tim Hughes, CEO and Co Founder at DLA Ignite
Create empathetic content that is relevant to this time of year and importantly, the socio-economic climate that we're in. Be aware and sensitive to what people may be experiencing at this time - isolation, loss, fear. Don't shy away from being vulnerable because those very vulnerabilities and your deep awareness can be the thing that connects you to your customers at a more significant level.
Content that creates the highest engagement is content that is highly humanized. This is not to say that you write sob stories and exploit your customers. Instead, it's about connecting with them where they are at and also letting them see the human in you. Tim tells the story about someone on LinkedIn sharing about his wife putting on Led Zeppelin to indicate it was time for the weekend to begin. He followed this up with the question: "Who else is a Led Zeppelin fan?" Tim pointed out how the simplicity of this post created an incredible amount of engagement.
Look to create a long term relationship with your customers and so be willing to invest in being empathetic. People buy people so be willing to share your values and your humanity.
Tim Hughes previously featured on Ep 32 and you can connect with him on LinkedIn.