And just like that it’s September – Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back, kids are back in school, and you’re one month closer to the holiday rush. While it seems impossible that you need to be thinking about the holidays right now, it’s actually the perfect time to continue prepping your marketing holiday strategy. Here’s everything you need to do this month to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward this holiday season:

• Continue A/B Testing Messaging
• Make sure to test on email and social – take note of what types of offers work on each medium
• Finalize products you want to push this year
• Plan and create your holiday gift guide(s) or gift center(s)
• Restock on last year’s best sellers and incorporate into your marketing plan
• Continue optimizing your website
• Map out what segments you will be targeting with each email marketing campaign
• Decide if you’re planning to run a holiday opt-in campaign. If you are, make sure to:
• Start the opt-in process early
• Use different mediums, not just email
• Test placement (for banners and ads), as well as messaging
• Think about presenting the opt-in as a holiday daily deal or some other type of incentive
• Create your automated holiday campaigns
• Update timing for cart recovery, browse, etc as you see fit
• Include info on shipping
• Hire any extra help you need: sales reps, customer service, etc.

While there are a million and one things to get done during the lead up to the holidays, taking steps to get ahead of the rush will help you feel confident in your strategy and allow you to concentrate on other things during those long November and December days..

If you’re looking for more holiday information, check out the 2018 Holiday Guide for access to monthly checklists (July – January), campaign ideas, and key themes and dates.

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