Blog

Holidays are always cause for celebration, but in the world of ecommerce they're equally important for sales. Whether it be present giving celebrations that will drive up sales or just a good opportunity to put out holiday related deals, as a seller it's so important to keep track of when these days are and plan accordingly. A hastily put together promotion the day before an event isn't likely to get you much traction. With a bit of forward planning and the help of our Q1 Key dates to put in the calendar you can plan out the perfect promotions and stock to have to make the most of them.

Super bowl Sunday - February 4th

Once an American centric holiday, the rising availability of cross-country television streams, interest in international sports and the pop-culture spectacle of the halftime show that appeals to even non-sports fans, the Super bowl is slowly becoming a worldwide event of interest.

One of the biggest talking points surrounding the Super bowl is the high production and feature adverts that take place in the breaks. Whilst you may not quite be featured on that advert reel, it doesn't mean you can't take advantage of this period of highly creative advertising storytelling. This is a good chance to release a piece of highly shareable content that can get people talking about your company.

Valentines Day - February 14th

As one of the biggest days for retail in the beginning of the year, having a good Valentines Day promotion can set you apart from other retailers. This can be a big day for sales for almost any product that could be considered a gift.

Make sure you have your marketing campaign set up by the beginning of February, as most Valentine's Day shopping will happen the weekend of the 4th. However, this doesn't mean you can't also capitalise on the trope of last minute gift buying, with an effective email campaign offering last minute buys to those who may have forgotten. Make sure to highlight next day delivery options if you go down this route.

In terms of sourcing products for this period, don't be afraid to think outside the box. More and more people are looking for subversive gifts or buying gifts for friends. In recent years there's been a huge upswing in themes like Galentine's Day or anti-romantic themed cards. Promoting towards these groups taps into a potentially unfulfilled market and has much less competition than promoting towards loved up couples, whilst allowing your brand to stand out.

Mother's Day (UK) - March 11th

Mother's day can be a great one for shareable social media content as people are often sharing pictures or messages of thanks to their mothers online anyway. Consider running some sort of promotion or even competition that involves people doing just that. This will be a fun way for people to engage with your brand, as well as spreading awareness.

Something else to consider is doing a small giveaway, perhaps a bundle of your best selling products. Not only will this drum up hype and interaction with your brand, but you can also later retarget any of those who didn't win in the giveaway with last minute shopping deals.

St. Patrick's Day - March 17th

Similarly, your St. Patrick's Day promotions can benefit from running a great social media campaign. Most people are probably familiar with scrolling through social media feeds to see numerous posts of people wearing green and/or Guinness hats - turn this into a promotion by running a competition with a brand hashtag that will get people talking about your brand.

Another easy, but effective, way to get into the St. Patrick's Day spirit is just by using the colour green. Krispy Kreme ran a great promotion last year simply by changing the name and colour of their most popular selling Original Glazed Donut. By promoting something limited edition, they were able to create buzz and exclusivity around it that got people wanting to buy and also sharing on social media.

As long as you keep track of these dates and remember to plan your marketing strategies well in advance, Q1 doesn't have to mean a downturn in sales after the traditional holiday period. Just remember to think outside the box and make the most of people's love for sharing on social media - especially during holidays and celebrations!