Top 5 Holiday Marketing Do’s and Don’ts for your DTC Brand

The holiday season is here. While consumers are already getting their shopping underway, many of our DTC brands are still considering the best strategy to market to their people. While some strategies remain steadfast and usable year after year, we at the Fearless Collective always like to communicate the trends working in the current market.

Here are our Top 5 Do’s and Don’ts for your DTC marketing during this holiday season.

Do’s

1) Maintain a presence on social media that doesn’t just show off your product but engages your audience. There are only so many times a person can see your product without it becoming digital white noise. Take time to build a community around your brand- something that engages people far beyond the reach of the physical product. 

2) Utilize User Generated Content (UGC). There are thousands of micro-influencers out there who would love to be ambassadors for your brand. TikTok has blown UGC out of the water and become a great way to mix up your feed and content. These micro-influencers typically have a trusted following who like the same things they like and will be more likely to purchase what they are purchasing.

3) Blog writing for SEO. Blogging is an effective tool for improving your search engine optimization (SEO). By producing informative, high-quality content related to your products or industry, you not only enhance your website's visibility but also position your brand as an authoritative source.

4) Leverage Pinterest for traffic generation. Craft visually appealing pins that spotlight your products, tapping into Pinterest's unique capacity to stimulate vitality and longevity. Pinterest content tends to be more evergreen, making your ROI much higher than a static post swiped through a feed in seconds.

5) Implement email marketing automation. This is a great way to stay top of mind for consumers who have been interested in your product, perhaps those who’ve filled their cart but never hit the checkout button. Offer them exclusive deals or incentives to convert potential leads into paying customers.

Don’ts

1) Don’t have a social feed that is just your product or focusing solely on yourself as the founder. There’s a reason this made the do and the don’t list! We see so many brands posting only their products with no story connected. Today’s consumer wants more. They want to understand the people and mission behind the brand. They want to know who they are purchasing from and why it matters they choose your brand over the competition.

2) Don’t have a complex website. Online shopping’s claim to fame comes from its ease of use. No more standing in lines or wading through seas of people in department stores. Yet, a huge mistake we see brands make is on their websites- too many embedded links, lack of clarity on where to click the buy button, etc. Make it easy for your customers by having no more than 3 clicks from social to purchase. Make it clean, clear, and easy to buy now!   

3) Don’t spend a bunch of money on digital advertising. This will save you heaps of money and pain. Instead of throwing your marketing dollars at digital ads first, use that as a strategy second. Get your messaging and offerings right on organic social first. Figure out what your audience is resonating with then amplify it by using ad dollars. Dumping money into ads without doing this first will not equal millions of customers.

4) Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Especially during the holidays consumers want the best of all worlds. If you can’t guarantee your product will make it there before a certain date, don’t say you can. If you are worried you might run out of inventory, communicate in your marketing there is a limited supply. Live up to your hype by only promising what you can fully embody and deliver with excellence.

5) Don’t spam people. Email marketing is a great strategy but don’t overdo it. Your subscribers will hit that unsubscribe button faster than the NFL capitalizing on T-Swift and Travis Kelce’s budding romance. A general rule of thumb is no more than one email a week any more than that and you’ll be doing more damage than good.

Do you feel like you need a little more help on your marketing strategy for the holidays and into the new year? The Fearless Foundry Collective has one more spot open for 2023. Get in touch if that spot is being held for you!