Christmas business: tips for affiliate marketing

According to recent studies*, the retail world is expecting record-breaking Christmas sales in 2017. Not only is per capita spending on gifts expected to be several percentage points higher this time than last year, consumers have also resolved to buy their gifts earlier this time. 64 percent, for example, want to be done with their shopping before December 15. Merchants who have not yet taken care of their affiliate marketing, or have not done so sufficiently, should therefore hurry up and follow these tips:

1. promote christmas relevant products

Even if you have the greatest outdoor products in stock right now, it's better to focus your Christmas promotions on seasonal products with a clear Christmas connection or on items that are in high demand right now. If you're unsure: Check Google's trend overview https://trends.google.de. Here you can find out which keywords are currently most searched for or analyze your sales figures from last year. SEO tools can also be useful for the affiliate sector, as the latest demand trends can be read from the keyword analysis. In addition, a frank conversation with major publishers often yields possible clues as to what sells well at Christmas.

2. check if your offer is really attractive

It actually sounds banal, but it's still a common mistake: before you promote specific offers, you should check whether your offer is really attractive. For the buyer, after all, it's a small thing to do a price comparison online - and buy from the competition. For the retailer, it's usually an irretrievably missed opportunity.

3. offer your customers additional incentives to buy

To attract as much attention as possible in the pre-Christmas rush, you should offer your customers additional incentives and communicate this in your promotions. For example, offer extended return periods, guaranteed delivery by Christmas, or stylish gift wrapping. Such an additional incentive can give cashback or loyalty publishers the edge over the competition. A well-chosen discount with an associated minimum order value can also bring about a sales uplift that additionally boosts Christmas business.

4. try out creative ideas - the risk is low

Take advantage of the creative Christmas specials offered by well-known affiliate partners and book yourself in there. Even if, for example, the best doors of the Advent calendar are already occupied, even seemingly unattractive days in December can still bring additional sales. Also recommended: Test creative ideas and placements, because the shopping volume is so high during the Christmas season that - compared to the rest of the year - merchants take alow risk.

5. make sure that technology, performance and stock are right

Smoothly functioning technology is a basic prerequisite for a lasting good relationship with your publishers. So make sure that your promotions are highly performant in all respects - naturally also in terms of an appropriately high stock level. Otherwise, as a merchant, you run the risk of being delisted by the publisher.* Source: https://blogs.adobe.com/digitaleurope/de/digital-marketing-de/infografiken-online-macht-sich-warm-fuersdeutsche-weihnachtsgeschaeft/