Cashing in on holiday spending is every advertiser’s dream. Between Black Friday and Thanksgiving, there is no better time to connect with millions of shoppers searching online for products. So what are some of the points to consider when planning your paid search campaigns for the holiday season?

Get a head start

Research shows that up to 39% of holiday shoppers do so before Thanksgiving. This means your ad campaigns must be in place before the holidays come around. Some of the strategies you can use to capture the early bird search traffic include:

• Build trust: Use product reviews, testimonials, and product comparison links to enhance buyers’ confidence in your product.
• Keyword Coverage: Use extended keywords to capture popular search terms such as ‘kids’, women’s or ideas.
• Remarket: Motivate early shoppers by remarketing offers they viewed earlier.

Spread Your Budget

Don’t focus your entire paid search budget on Black Friday sales. Bing Data shows that purchases made during Black Friday and Cyber Monday account for only 17% of holiday shopping. Spread your ads budget to capture the 40% of sales done throughout December. A couple of tips to manage your holiday campaign budget include

• Track your Ad expenditure in real time– setting up alerts to and rules on your account can help regulate your ad expenditure.
• Analyze traffic spikes– you can use a campaign planner to track and project holiday traffic. This analysis will inform how you spread your budget over the season.

Showcase Your Deals/Offers

The whole point of shopping during this season is to enjoy product offers and discounts. You can attract bargain hunters by:

• Tweaking keywords– Ensure your copy includes enticing keywords such as ‘Black Friday offer’ or ‘special holiday discount.’
• Creating urgency– Display countdown tickers for limited time offers.
• Optimizing for mobile– Make it easy for mobile users to find you, contact you, and purchase from their devices.

Know Your Audience’s Habits

Depending on your product, Singapore online shoppers may prefer to shop at different times, e.g., early in the season or on weekends. Researching trends will improve your keyword bid strategy.

Consider Self- Gifters

Not everyone shopping during this season is shopping for others. Consider including copy and offers such as ‘treat yourself’ for holiday self-gifters.

Overall, do not procrastinate in your paid search campaign. Get to know your buyers’ trends and make it easy to find and act on the offers available on your landing pages