On this week's Affiliate Marketing Podcast, Lee-Ann welcomes Melissa Feemster, co-founder of Team Bespoke, to discuss planning for holidays and peak periods in affiliate marketing.
Topics include:
- The importance of planning and predicting consumer behavior
- Strategies for leveraging different marketing channels
- Diversify your marketing channels and be prepared to pivot in response to competition
Melissa will also share insights into the future of retail performance marketing, including coupon and loyalty partner management, and the role of AI and personalization.
Listen here for all the insights…
Peak Period
LeeAnne asks Melissa to explain what are some key moments that brands need to be aware of.
Melissa explains: “Especially in the US, traditionally the holidays start with Black Friday and then move on to the Christmas holidays, but now it’s a longer period – we really see the holiday shopping season from October onwards. Amazon Prime moved Prime Day to October for several years, helping to boost holiday shopping.
“In the US, Singles' Day is a big event, then Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and then throughout December, the big holiday shopping days. That's what I mean by peak. Those five days from Black Friday to Cyber Monday, and then Giving Tuesday, Thanksgiving, are the days when a lot of our clients shop, depending on how you look at it. It costs most of your annual income.”
Be proactive
Leanne says: “For the rest of this podcast, let's help people put their plans in place so that when October hits, they're ready and all of our partners are ready together. Obviously it's a peak period, so let's start by thinking about the key economic drivers. You need to get in front of consumers in advance to take advantage of the offers and sales that are coming up. And of course you need to think about your sales process.
“But what do we need to consider on an economic scale? Because when we're planning for the peak, year-over-year comparisons will change depending on whether it's a recession year or not. What are some things we should be looking out for this year at this point?”
Melissa replies:he Consumers still really want value, and that value can come in the form of coupons, points, it can come in a variety of forms from the value of the product itself.
“We have elections in the US in November, and that certainly changes consumer sentiment. When consumers feel unsure, they don't buy. So we want consumers to buy as much as possible, and we want to make them feel as safe as possible. It's important to anticipate when consumers might not yet be ready to buy, and be ready to give them what they need when they might feel more comfortable.”
Get the timing right
Leanne asks.aIs there anything I should be planning for about three months in advance, between October and November, and what's the best way to go about it?”
““Of course there is!” Melissa advises. “Start planning to get in a gift guide in August or September. It may seem super early, but content sites and media houses start writing their gift guides in August and September, so it's important to make sure you get in there. Gift guides start coming out in October, so it's a great time for people to really think about and learn about your brand. Then the actual buying happens, of course, during the peak holiday season, so it's something to consider.”
“Next thing you need to know is that Meta is going to be super expensive around the election, so for retailers who tend to spend a significant amount on Facebook properties, October and the end of September are going to be super expensive. So just know that you might not be able to afford it, and you're going to have to look at ways to shift your budget in a different way.”
Listen in to find out more about:
- Preparing for economic factors
- Coupon and loyalty partner management
- Succeed at peak times
- Avoid common mistakes
Key parts of this podcast and where you can listen directly:
[04:32] Understand holidays and peak periods
[16:15] Be prepared for emergencies!
[31:05] The Future of Retail Performance Marketing
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and….
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