If you haven’t planned your Christmas shopping campaign, do it now or you may miss your best profits of the year. But you must consider new economic changes as you make plans for Christmas shopping.

If you want your Christmas shopping this year to exceed those for last year, you need to:

Do More Online Promotions and Advertising
To Boost Christmas Shopping

Last year, almost a quarter of online shoppers reported shopping online to save gas. With gas prices higher this year, more people are expected to do their Christmas shopping online, reports Forrester Research.

Online business owners who provide value and good prices will get most of this Christmas shopping business. Those offering free shipping are also expected to benefit. Some businesses are cutting advertising and site changes to provide free shipping.

Still others are increasing their online advertising, especially for the fourth quarter. Some are finding that online advertising increases their brick-and-mortar sales with more than twice the return on investment than traditional advertising.

Other business owners are developing social networking campaigns and will purchase ads in MySpace, Facebook and other social networks to advertise their products for Christmas shopping.

Target Your Market Narrowly
And Develop Customized
Marketing For Christmas Shopping

The tight economy is also spurring more off-line direct marketing. Last fall direct marketing captured half of total advertising revenue. This fall it’s predicted to grow around six percent to more than $183 billion.

The move from traditional advertising to direct marketing is a part of a larger move from mass marketing to target marketing. It continues to get more important to cater marketing messages and activities to a narrow target market with shared characteristics.

This enables customized marketing geared to the needs and buying behavior of the target market. The more you know about your target market the more effectively you can design offers that will motivate consumers to buy your products while Christmas shopping.

Promote More Local
Christmas Shopping

Consumers will also be spend more local for Christmas shopping this year. The need to save gas and a grassroots move to support local businesses will keep Christmas shoppers closer to home this year.

But just being local won’t insure that your business will get its share of Christmas shopping. With the tight economy, consumers are now shopping more based on needs than their wants. They’re looking for value.

Consider How The Economy
Is Influencing Consumers’
Buying Behavior

With the tough economy and high gas prices, more people will be doing their Christmas shopping online and in local stores this Christmas. And they’ll be looking for more value and more basic and practical gifts.

To get your share of Christmas shopping, start now to plan your Christmas campaign with this information in mind.

Consider other holidays as well for special campaigns. Here’s one you may want to consider:

The Fourth Of July

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Posted 8-20-08:
Have You Started Planning
Your Christmas Shopping
Campaign

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