Tis’ the season to check out the best marketing statistics and sleigh your sales this season. If you’re a business owner or manager, you know that the holidays are a once in a year opportunity to reach customers and grow profit — just in time for Christmas.
In this blog you’ll find:
- Top holiday marketing statistics
- Key buyer behaviour trends for strategic holiday marketing
- Holiday & 2023 SMS and email marketing statistics
- 5 quick tips for successful holiday marketing
Discover the best holiday marketing statistics and set your strategy.
Top holiday marketing statistics
Customers love Christmas and the statistics prove it. Below are our top holiday marketing statistics so that your business can make the most of the season — and start 2024 strong.
- More than $105.2 billion dollars has already been spent this holiday season, from November 1 - 27 2023 - Adobe
- Holiday sales hit $936.3 billion in 2022, up 5.3% from the year before. - National Retail Federation
- 44% of shoppers say they were influenced by someone on social media to buy a product - Tinuiti
- Consumers are more likely to respond to cart abandonment SMS than email, with click-through rates of 36% compared to 3.2% respectively. - SalesCycle
Key buyer behaviour trends for strategic holiday marketing
Start by understanding customer behaviour at the holiday period and then plan your marketing to match. It’s a shortcut to nailing your marketing plan this year. We’ve rounded up the best stats for key buyer behaviour.
- More people are shopping on desktops over mobile in 2023 - Adobe
- Shoppers are more likely to buy more items on a desktop vs mobile or tablet - Adobe
- $7.3 billion has already been spent through buy now pay later apps during the 2023 season. - Adobe
- Only 7% of buyers say they get all of their shopping done during Cyber 5 - Tinuiti
- 72% of shoppers expect higher prices this season - Deloitte
- Shoppers expect to spend $1,652 in 2023, up $197 from 2022. - Deloitte
- Shoppers are planning to spend more on gifting experiences ($632) compared to physical gifts ($554) - Deloitte
- 45% of shoppers say they buy from websites they trust are more likely to fulfil their order in a timely fashion - Tinuiti
- 66% of boomers say they begin holiday shopping before Thanksgiving compared to 48% of Gen Z - Tinuiti
- Price is the biggest influence over holiday purchase decisions, a top answer for 50% of shoppers. This is followed by sales and discounts (22%) and free shipping (13%) - Tinuiti
- 44% of shoppers say they were influenced by someone on social media to buy a product - Tinuiti
- The majority of shoppers (43%) go on Facebook for gift inspiration, followed by YouTube (36%) and Instagram (35%) - Tinuiti
- October was the month with the highest overall retail sales in 2022. - NRF
- Online and other non-store sales were up 9.5% in 2022 - NRF
Holiday & 2023 SMS and email marketing statistics
There’s power in numbers and using two channels instead of one. Power up your SMS marketing with email and double your impact. Discover how email and SMS can support your holiday strategy.
- Marketing emails have an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent - Litmus
- Recommending certain products in email make up 26% of total revenue and result in a 10% increase in average order value - Salesforce
- Consumers are more likely to respond to cart abandonment SMS than email, with click-through rates of 36% compared to 3.2% respectively. - SalesCycle
- The click-to-conversion rate for email increased about 5% in 2023 compared to 2022.
- 31% of email orders came from automated emails in 2022, despite accounting for less than 2% of sends - My Total Retail
- Nearly 40% of people who click on an automated email make a purchase - My Total Retail
- Brands sent 32.8% more scheduled emails, 99.2% more automated emails and 47.9% more SMS messages in the first half of 2023 compared to the previous year. - My Total Retail
- One in 10 people who received a marketing SMS in the first half of 2023 clicked on it. - My Total Retail
- SMS marketing messages saw a 16.9% increase in sales in the first half of 2023 compared to 2022.
5 quick tips for successful holiday marketing
Now you’ve read the facts, you’re ready to take action. Based on the statistics we gathered, we’ve listed five quick tips to make your holiday marketing plan a total success.
From using multi-channel marketing to playing up the festive angles, there are so many ways to make your holiday season a success this year.
1. Go multichannel with MMS, SMS, email, and more
During the holiday hustle and bustle, connecting with customers through a mix of communication channels like MMS, SMS, and email is a game-changer.
Picture this: when it comes to rescuing abandoned shopping carts, people are way more responsive to a friendly SMS ping than an email nudge, with a whopping 36% click-through rate versus a measly 3.2%. And – in the first half of 2023, those quick and snappy SMS messages led to a cool 16.9% boost in sales compared to the year before. But, let's not forget our trusty emails – they're still in the game, showing a 5% uptick in the click-to-conversion rate from 2022 to 2023.
So, the holiday marketing secret sauce? Mixing it up with the right channels to create a marketing plan that resonates with your audience and turns clicks into joyous conversions.
And if you’re thinking about adding MMS to the mix, we’ve got 19 templates to get your Christmas communications sorted. Check out our ChristMMS templates.
2. Gift great communication
Everyone is busy searching for presents at this time of year. So, tap into their state of mind.
Many businesses create tailored gift guides or special festive season gift certificates. But, most businesses don’t think about the most effective way to share their offer. Customers are busy and distracted this time of year, businesses need to work harder than usual to stand out. Because, what’s the point of having the best sale, gift options or gift certificates — if no one sees them?
Have a think about how you can share your holiday offers. For example, if you’re an e-commerce store, maybe you could try a traditional mail-out via online post. Or, you might set up a drip campaign via SMS, offering gift suggestions for stressed out shoppers in the lead up to Christmas. Maybe you set up MMS gift cards so people can buy a gift card and have it texted to the recipient — perfect for last minute gifts.
3. Make buying as easy as possible
We often talk about the flashy part of festive marketing — we’re looking to make a big splash, instead of making sure the foundations of our customer experience are strong. Creating simple and user-friendly experiences is just as important as your big campaign. The season is hectic and it’s important to make the purchasing process as straightforward as possible for customers.
If you’re planning on sending out SMS and email campaigns you must add direct shopping links that take customers to product pages, minimising unnecessary steps in the buying journey. Plus, an intuitive user experience (UX) plays a crucial role so customers can smoothly navigate through the online shopping experience.
Amidst the seasonal rush, the goal is to make the act of buying a stress-free and straightforward process, ensuring customers can effortlessly find and purchase the items they need.
4. Show gratitude to your loyal customers
It’s nice to say thank you to loyal customers. And it can boost your business too. Especially if you express gratitude to loyal customers in a way that resonates and encourages their continued engagement.
One effective tactic is to offer exclusive discounts or special deals to past customers. It creates an incentive for them to revisit your business, acknowledges their loyalty and creates a sense of value.
Another personal touch is sending physical holiday cards. It’s so nice to receive something in the mailbox and this small gesture can add a human touch to your brand. It’s a great way to create a deeper connection with loyal customers. And, you don’t need to do the envelope stuffing yourself. You can send holiday postcards using online post and our free postcard templates.
Because after all, Christmas is a time to strengthen relationships — especially with your most loyal customers
5. Offer free and expedited shipping
Money can be tight around Christmas so offering free shipping can be a simple and powerful incentive that encourages people to buy. It’s an easy way to remove a barrier that may hinder the decision-making process.
If you do operate an online business, it’s important to recognise the time-sensitive nature of holiday shopping. Make sure that you communicate about post cut-off dates often and early, so that people receive their gifts in time. You can even send a nudge via SMS to remind customers that they need to order by a certain date.
Ready to make the most of this holiday season
Unpacking the insights will not only refine your marketing approach but also ensures that your brand resonates with the festive spirit. Whether it's tapping into the surge of online shopping, leveraging the power of campaigns, or crafting irresistible holiday promotions, staying ahead of the curve is key.
