The holidays are fast approaching.
Accounting for the majority of annual retail sales, this time of year prompts most organizations to start preparations well in advance. Deloitte is forecasting that holiday sales could grow by 5.6% this year to more than $1.1 trillion – bringing even more opportunity for brands to boost revenue.
But here’s the challenge. Today’s consumers have limitless buying options at their disposal and today’s retail climate is more complex than it’s ever been. To gain market share, brands’ holiday strategies need to stand out. Not only must these campaigns be eye-catching to shoppers but they must also quickly communicate value.
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If that doesn’t sound like your planned holiday campaign, there’s still time to create effective Facebook and Instagram ads. It’s not too late to create campaigns that are sure to make your customers choose your brand over the competition this holiday shopping season.
Read on for five simple but effective strategies that will help your brand move the needle on Facebook and Instagram.
1. Create A Visual Experience Using Instagram Stories
More than 300 million people view Instagram Stories every day. That’s a vast audience you must be in front of for the holidays.
In addition to the sheer audience size, Instagram Stories ads are interwoven among organic content that consumers are already seeing, so the format comes off as less invasive than other formats. Instagram Stories ads also run vertically on the entire screen, which gives you full use of a viewer’s screen.
For thumb-stopping Instagram Stories ads:
- Keep content authentic-looking. While your photos or video should be high-quality, it should not be overproduced.
- Don’t write too much copy. Instagram Stories ads last just 10 seconds. Don’t waste the opportunity to connect with people by displaying a wall of text. Get creative with visual elements that will motivate your audience to swipe up for more information.
- Use overlays that resonate with your target demographic. With Instagram Stories, you can place colorful graphics and emojis over your content. If it aligns with your brand narrative, include one or two of these elements. It will give your content an organic feel.
2. Create Effortless Yet Engaging Videos
Nearly 80% of consumers indicate they would rather watch a video to learn more about a product than reading text on a page, according to a WyzOwl study. Meantime, 84% said they have been convinced to make a purchase after watching a brand’s video.
Creating engaging video can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be.
Facebook introduced its Video Creation Kit in July — enabling retailers to create mobile-first video ads with very few resources. The Video Creation Kit pulls images from the product feed to create Instant Experiences (formally known as Canvas ads). While this solution cannot be used across the entire product catalog for dynamic ads, it is a good way to quickly elevate certain campaigns.
Here are three simple ideas for how to incorporate the Video Creation Kit:
- If you have products that come in different colors or patterns, create an engaging video showing off each variation.
- Flip through every angle of one item to provide a complete view. This works well for accessories or shoes.
- Utilize user-generated content to create a video-like ad that depicts how much people love your products. Show potential customers how others are styling your products during the holidays.
3. Reach Shoppers Who Are Planning To Self-Gift
According to a Kiip survey, 55% of holiday shoppers plan to buy new clothes for themselves this season. Remind shoppers that your brand has great options for self-gifting.
Take advantage of Facebook’s lookalike targeting to effectively reach people who are more likely to buy from your brand because they are similar to customers who have purchased from you in the past. Reach them with ads that feature your best-selling products, and use compelling copy to let them know that these popular items will bring them joy.
4. Use Colorful Overlays To Feature Holiday Offers
It’s no secret, consumers are deal hunting during the holidays. A whopping 87% of holiday shoppers will search for deals when shopping for gifts this year, according to a RetailMeNot survey. Show shoppers that your brand has the deals they are seeking. Use Facebook’s Creative Tools to overlay special prices and free shipping offers onto your dynamic ads. While this native tool is limited when it comes to font and color options, you can work with a Facebook Marketing Partner to unlock advanced options that fit into your existing brand guidelines.
5. Creating Winning Holiday Ads Is Still Possible
Your ad creative has to be on target to win your share of this year’s holiday demand. If you don’t currently have the resources available to create dedicated holiday creative for your Facebook and Instagram ads, don’t panic. Simply implement these tactics. The five ideas mentioned above are not just easy to execute, but they’re visually pleasing and will help drive performance for you this holiday season.
Declan Kennedy is the CEO and co-founder of StitcherAds, a Facebook Marketing Partner. Through his experience in paid social and digital innovation, StitcherAds has become recognized as a top performance marketing platform for Facebook & Instagram. StitcherAds empowers top brands such as Finish Line and Reiss to increase the revenue impact of their ad spend using data-fueled automation.
