How to Engage Your Holiday Shoppers with Festive Stories

While we are still in September, it won't be long until the holiday season is upon us. And while for most that means spending time with family and friends, shoppers have another thing to consider. Namely, the holiday seasons are often the yearly high points when it comes to spending. And every experienced store owner knows that making the most of the holiday season is always worth the investment. So, while we still have time, let's outline how you should approach the coming seasons and engage your holiday shoppers with festive stories.

What makes the holiday season unique for shoppers

To make the most out of the shopping season, it is best to first outline what makes it unique. We are all aware that during these couple of months, people are far more willing to spend. But simply taking this at face value doesn't really tell us much. Instead, we ought to consider the more underlying reasons for this increased motivation for spending. Heightened emotions, respect for traditions, a sense of urgency... All these influence consumer behaviour in a profound way. Especially when highlighted by social media. By analysing them we'll be able to outline how to orient your marketing and which role story content should play.

Emotional connection and nostalgia

Firstly we need to notice that holidays have been around for decades, if not centuries. We all have fond memories that relate to holidays. And it is precisely those memories that evoke strong emotions like joy, nostalgia, and a sense of togetherness. If channelled properly these emotions can significantly influence purchasing decisions. Shoppers are far more likely to make purchases that remind them of cherished memories, traditions, or the desire to create new ones.

Spirit of giving

On a similar note, the holiday season is synonymous with giving, making it a peak time for gift shopping. People are motivated to find the perfect gifts for their loved ones, which leads to increased spending on products that convey thoughtfulness and care. Tapping into this spirit of selflessness can be a good way to promote your products.

Traditional products

There are certain products that are almost exclusively sold during specific holiday seasons. Decorations, festive clothing, gift packaging... All these are related to specific traditions that revolve around holidays. These traditions create a recurring demand for certain items, making the holiday season a critical period for businesses in these categories.

This also extends to products that are prominent in social gatherings. As we said, the holiday season is focused on family and social gatherings, Therefore, it makes sense that the demand for items like food, beverages, and party supplies skyrockets. Shoppers are not just buying for themselves but also preparing to host and share with others.

Lastly, as the year draws to a close, many people reflect on their lives and set new goals, which can influence shopping patterns. For example, fitness equipment, planners, and wellness products often see a spike in sales as shoppers prepare for the New Year.

Limited-time offers and promotions

Another staple of the holiday season is sales events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas deals, which create a sense of urgency. Shoppers are enticed by limited-time discounts, exclusive bundles, and special holiday promotions, driving them to buy more than usual. A clever marketing strategy ought to make use of this sense of urgency and capitalise on the FOMO motivation.

Seasonal exclusivity

Even if you don't offer specific products during holidays, you can look to offer special versions of products. Many brands release limited-edition holiday products or special packaging during this time. The exclusivity and novelty of these items make them highly desirable, encouraging shoppers to purchase before they're gone. Especially if you have a track record of not repeating the product design from the past years.

You can further capitalise on this exclusivity by introducing personalization. Know that the desire to give meaningful and personalized gifts is amplified during the holiday season. By offering customization options, such as engraving, gift wrapping, and personalised messages, making each purchase feel more special. And if the product itself is seasonal, all the best.

End-of-year bonuses

To further bolster this increased motivation for spending, many people receive year-end bonuses or holiday pay. This can boost their disposable income and willingness to spend more during the holiday season. This extra cash often translates into splurging on gifts, luxury items, and special treats.

Escapism and treating oneself

For some, selflessness isn't the primary motivation during the holiday season. But, that doesn't mean that they will forgo spending. Amid the hustle and bustle of holiday preparations, many shoppers also indulge in self-gifting as a form of reward or escape. The idea of treating oneself to something special adds another layer of spending behaviour unique to the season.

Different ways to engage shoppers with festive stories

So family, tradition, get-togethers, and selflessness (or self-indulgence). These seem to be the dominant factors that drive the increased spending habits of holiday shoppers. Luckily, there is a way to make use of these factors and design a marketing strategy that will draw in a sizable audience.

While there are many ways to address holiday shoppers, we would advise that this year, you make use of story content. Engaging holiday shoppers with festive stories is a great way to build connections, drive sales, and create memorable brand experiences. Let's now outline some strategies to help you craft engaging holiday stories that resonate with your audience.

Tap into holiday emotions

We've often written how one of the unique values of story content is its ability to evoke emotions. A proper combination of visual elements and words can put people in the right spirit and convey the brand message you want. So, why not use stories that evoke nostalgic memories of past holidays, traditions, and family gatherings? Highlight shared experiences to help create an emotional connection.

You can centre your stories around themes of community, family, and togetherness, which are key sentiments during the holiday season. Another option is to highlight stories of gratitude, generosity, and the spirit of giving. These themes tend to relate closely to each other. Your job is to figure out which relates best to your brand, and how you can weave it into the holiday spirit.

Highlight customer stories

One of the main problems with marketing during the holiday season is that everyone is at it. The increased spending from shoppers is hardly a secret as all brands try to gain their attention. As a result, shoppers tend to get a bit overwhelmed with marketing and often ignore direct promotions from brands. Well, one of the ways to circumvent this is to opt for UGC. User-generated content has the distinct advantage of not being perceived as standard marketing content. So, in the upcoming seasons, you can showcase real stories from your customers about how your products have made their holidays special.

This not only builds trust but also creates a sense of community. Use festive-themed testimonials to share how your products fit into holiday celebrations. And even better if these testimonials come in the form of festive stories. Remember that it is much easier to weave emotion into story content than it is with regular content.

Create interactive storytelling experiences

It is fair to say that interactivity isn't something you should overuse. A content feed that is saturated with interactive elements will only appear boring. But, you should equally avoid the folly of underusing interactive elements. By having your users interact with your content you can get valuable information and cement your brand in their memory. So, engage your audience with holiday-themed polls, quizzes, or interactive stories. Keep in mind that shoppable stories are another option, where users can make purchases directly from the story content. You can also offer pre-order deals, and that way get a better handle of your seasonal storage. All these can be a fun way, quite an effective way for your users to connect with your brand.

Use visual storytelling

There are two ways to approach visual storytelling. One is to use images and videos filled with holiday colours, lights, and decorations. You can even create short animations or GIFs that capture the holiday spirit, and incorporate product placement.

Another is a lighter version. Here you make use of the holiday season to actually tell a story about your brand and products.
For instance, you can share infographics that tell a story, such as “The Journey of a Gift” showing how your products go from concept to holiday gift. You can even collaborate with shoppers to film their reactions and use the video for further storytelling. But, doing so will require planning and forethought. So, you best start planning now if you wish to tell a longer seasonal visual story.

Leverage multiple channels

A good way to reach a wide audience is to use a multi-channel approach to your marketing. Instead of simply focusing on one, you need to combine multiple channels to gain their benefits. For instance, you can use your email campaigns to share festive stories, tips for holiday planning, or behind-the-scenes glimpses of your brand’s holiday preparations. You can also write blog posts that incorporate storytelling, like “The Perfect Holiday Gift Guide” that tells a story about different gifting scenarios. You can host an online poll where people vote on what aspect of the holiday they find most stressful. Then you can create a video explaining how your brand can help them minimise or even overcome that issue. This is also an opportunity to repurpose your content, as you can revisit it in a different light. All in all, don't limit yourself to a single channel. Keep your options open and see where you can engage your audience in the most natural way.

Incorporate cultural and inclusive stories

Even though holidays tend to be culturally specific, it is in your best interest to be sensitive when tackling marketing. Include stories that celebrate various cultural traditions and holidays, showing your brand’s inclusivity and respect for all celebrations. Even if your data shows that you don't have many customers from a specific culture, it still won't hurt you to mention it. If you have a wider reach with your content you can look to invest further in different cultures. Share stories of unique holiday traditions from around the world, connecting your brand to a broader, diverse audience.

Final thoughts

As we said before, you'd be a fool not to try to engage your customers during the holiday season. But, you'd be a bigger fool if you left your content creation and marketing planning for the last minute. Instead, we would invite you to start planning your marketing campaign now. Book a consultation with StorifyMe if you need further details on how to create story content and where to best use it. And try to discern what you will focus on in the upcoming season. Seeing how many different ways there are to tackle holiday marketing, there is a chance that you will spread yourself too thin. Don't. Generic holiday marketing will get you nowhere. Instead, focus on a specific aspect that you can bolster, personalise, and optimise for the upcoming season.