Inbound Marketing Trends and Predictions for the 2020 Holiday Season

The 2020 holiday season will be quite different from any other year. The year 2020 has already shown that it is a year like no other. However, one thing that won’t change is people coming together, celebrating, and sharing gifts. How they accomplish this will be different though. Combined with the Growth Stack, our end-to-end marketing and sales solution, our experts have put together these inbound marketing trends and predictions for this unique 2020 holiday season to help inform your holiday marketing strategies. 

Factors to consider when putting together your holiday marketing strategies in 2020

Earlier start to shopping season

Due to a combination of factors, including, limited in person shopping due to the pandemic, less reliable mail service, and a general feeling of not knowing what the future will bring, experts predict the holiday shopping season will start earlier than normal. Also, with economical concerns looming large, research by Service Management Group (SMG) showed that shoppers are going to be looking for the promotions and deals, with over 30% of those surveyed stating that getting the best value for their money was the most important factor they would be considering this holiday season. 

Increased use of mobile shopping

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile shopping was increasing sharply. In 2019 mobile shopping accounted for over a quarter of total e-commerce, dramatically increasing since 2015. With many retailers utilizing one-click purchasing, as well as social media sites allowing consumers to purchase without leaving the social media platform, mobile shopping is predicted to have a major impact on e-commerce, particularly during this unique holiday season.

Continued growth of e-commerce

One of the silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic is that e-commerce has seen massive growth. Compared to 2019, the second quarter of 2020 showed an increase of 44%, with the third quarter showing a 36% increase. With the pandemic starting to surge again in many areas, consumers are likely to continue online shopping to avoid crowded stores. In addition, buy online pick-up in store (BOPIS) options grew significantly, rising over 360% since the start of the pandemic. Customers and retailers are concerned with delivery and shipping costs, respectively. 

The increased importance of flexibility and creativity

Flexibility and creativity are going to be the name of the game this year. Something everyone has learned, in spades, this year is to embrace change and uncertainty. Holiday marketing strategies for 2020 should be evaluated frequently and adjusted when needed. In this unique year, it is also important to be incredibly creative. Previous traditional holiday advertising will likely fall flat in light of current circumstances. People will still want to celebrate the holiday season, however, it likely won’t be in a more traditional sense.

Updating Your Holiday Marketing Strategies for 2020

While this holiday season will definitely be different, people will still be shopping. Over 91% of those surveyed during SMG’s research stated they in spite of the pandemic they are planning to shop this holiday season. This should prove to be a season where e-commerce will dominate. Careful, flexible, and creative marketing strategies will be the most successful this season. 

Download our free Growth Stack guide to learn more about effective holiday marketing strategies in 2020.