To some, it might be the dreaded ‘c’ word, but for me, it’s the ‘c’ word I’ve wanted to shout out for ages!

CHRISTMAS! 

Not sure what you were thinking there, slightly awkward… But anyway.

The festive season is coming up fast. And if you haven’t started planning your holiday marketing campaigns yet, listen up, come on, get your face up to the screen and repeat after me:

“It’s time to get on it”

I know, I know, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are right around the corner. You’re probably focused on promos and sales there. But let’s be real, your plans and creatives for that should be wrapped up by now, ready for launch.

Because solid holiday campaigns? They take more preparation than you realise. And delaying limits your potential impact big time.

Here are key reasons you need to start crafting your holiday campaigns ASAP:

Campaign Execution Takes Time

From strategy to creation to approval, executing Christmas campaigns across multiple channels is no small feat, BELIEVE me.

And considering the number of campaigns many brands run, plus the complexity of some channels… It can be downright challenging to pull it off if left until the last minute.

Plus, if you’re working with other brands, agencies or freelancers, their timelines need to be factored in too.

So the earlier you start, the more time you have to ensure everything is properly planned and executed, saving yourself a lot of headaches down the line.

Bottom line: the sooner you begin prepping your holiday campaigns, the better chance you’ll have for flawless execution and maximum success.

Bigger Campaigns Require Bigger Lead Times

You want to go big for the Christmas campaign, right?

Well, you probably should have started strategising yesterday then… 

Big campaigns need more runway. Why? Because campaign elements like:

• High quality video production – From developing concepts, scripts, storyboards to filming, editing, graphics and final approval, quality video content takes months to fully produce.

• Custom landing pages – Brainstorming the purpose, key messaging, optimising layout and flow, writing compelling copy and technically implementing new pages is a lengthy process.

• Unique creatives – Designing a series of cohesive visual assets around a campaign theme requires significant concepting and production time.

Rushing big campaign components like these limits quality and alignment. Build in ample lead time *cough* starting now if you want high-impact holiday initiatives ready for launch.

Black Friday Isn’t the Full Holiday Picture

Many brands pour efforts into Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions, then scramble to cobble together holiday campaigns in December.

But this reactive approach misses big opportunities, both visibility and budget-wise.

So, spacing out initiatives methodically for a longer time period maximises exposure and stretches budgets further across the entire holiday season.

Dedicate time for robust Black Friday and Cyber Monday plans, absolutely. But don’t make it your only holiday push. 

Use the weeks before and after to execute coordinated campaigns that put your brand top of mind throughout the festive period.

Technical Optimisation Is Critical

To actually drive results during the high-traffic festive period, your website needs to be technically optimised and more importantly, stress tested. 

Don’t leave critical elements like these until the last minute:

Clear URL structures – Create logical, keyword-optimised page URLs for holiday content to improve search visibility.

Strong on-page SEO – Optimise title tags, meta descriptions, alt text, headings and copy with targeted seasonal keywords.

Fast loading speed – Test and improve site speed to handle more traffic. Slow pages mean abandoned carts and when people are stressing about Christmas pressies, they don’t have time to waste.

Lead capture forms – Ensure holiday promos have lead gen forms and calls-to-action to collect prospect info.

Simple checkout – Remove friction from your checkout process – optimise fields, offer guest checkout and of course, highlight security.

Server capacity – Scale up bandwidth for traffic surges. Monitor site uptime and speed. This is one not many will mention but will be the make or break. Otherwise, you will get this awkward situation…

Mobile optimisation – Test mobile experience and enhance checkouts for mobile commerce. Because, where do we go when we forget to buy a present online? Straight to the loo, grabbing our phones and finding what we need.

With technical optimisations in place ahead of time, you can deliver fast, flawless user experiences to capture every holiday sale.

SEO Ranking Takes Time

If you want your Chrimbo content to attract organic search visibility, you need to start SEO efforts well in advance.

While big brands dominate rankings for broad terms like “Christmas gifts” year after year, you can still compete by targeting long-tail, low-competition keywords.

The key is to:

Identify your SEO priorities early – Research terms you realistically can rank for related to holiday offerings, deals, content etc.

Develop keywords-optimised content – Craft blogs, guides, local listings etc. optimised for your focus terms.

Follow on-page best practices – Include keywords in titles, headlines, URLs, alt text and naturally throughout copy.

Build internal links – Link relevant evergreen and holiday content together to share the holiday spirit (also, search engines love it)

Create landing pages – Develop dedicated pages around products, deals, events and service offerings.

Feel free to reach out if you have any more inquiries about UK holiday marketing. I’m here to ensure you’re well-prepared for a successful campaign!

Christmas will be here faster than you can finish singing Mariah Carey. 

So gather your team now to start preparing those campaigns to close out the year strong. 

Have additional questions as you strategise? I’m here to help every step of the way. Let’s make this Christmas your most successful ever!