Tricks and Treats for Advertisers to Maximize ROI this Holiday Season

Writer: Kylie Gruender
Date: October 31, 2024

Trick or treat! Let’s kick things off with a spooky treat every marketer should include in their basket of Halloween goodies: return on investment or ROI. While it may sound a bit daunting, ROI is actually the magic number that helps you measure the profitability of your advertising investment or just how much profit you’ve gained when accounting for your marketing spend. And trust us, it’s no ghost story—ROI is a must-have tool for knowing whether your marketing strategies are pulling in the big bucks or just spinning cobwebs.

WHAT IS ROI AND WHY SHOULD ADVERTISERS CARE?

Calculating ROI gives you a clear view of whether your campaign trends have been a treat for your bottom line or, well… a bit of a trick. The best part? Once you’ve got those numbers, you can use them to learn and refine your strategies for future campaigns. It’s pretty straightforward as you can see:

ROI Formula: ROI = (Net Income / Total Cost) x 100
By focusing on ROI, you’ll avoid getting haunted by missed opportunities and ensure every ad dollar works hard to deliver real, measurable results.

Trick: Not all ROI is created equal! Avoid the temptation to focus solely on high sales volume—ensure you calculate the real return to assess your profit margins accurately.

Treat: By calculating an effective ROI campaign, you can discover which channel is your top performer and make better investments in the short and long term.

DON’T GET GHOSTED BY YOUR DATA—TRACK YOUR ROI

Tracking campaign ROI is critical in order to understand how effective your advertising efforts are. Without it, you might as well be wandering through a haunted house blindfolded. And let’s face it, nobody wants to get spooked to that extent.

While it’s tempting to focus solely on conversion rates, the full picture of your campaign’s success lies in understanding the true financial impact of each portion of your campaign. Tracking your ROI allows you to make data-driven decisions about what’s working—and what’s not. This not only strengthens your current campaign, but also builds a roadmap for future holiday efforts.

Trick: Don’t get caught up in the excitement of seeing high impressions. If you’re not tracking your ROI, you could be spooked by poor returns later on.

Treat: Using real-time tracking tools gives you immediate insights so you can adjust campaigns on the fly—making every dollar count.

DEFINING CAMPAIGN GOALS: MORE FUN THAN PICKING A HALLOWEEN COSTUME

Establishing clear campaign goals should be at the top of your list as you prepare for 2025 Media Planning. As seen on this latest download sheet, setting these goals doesn’t have to be as tricky as deciding between being a witch or a superhero this Halloween. Partnering with Simpli.fi can help streamline your efforts, ensuring your goals are aligned with high-level, attainable outcomes that drive real results.

Whether you’re aiming to increase sales, boost brand awareness, or drive customer engagement, identifying your benchmarks early allows for a more focused and successful campaign. Keep in mind that the true power of ROI lies in the precision of your goals.

Trick: Avoid setting vague goals like “increase sales.” Be specific—outline measurable targets to ensure you’re not chasing shadows.

Treat: Break down your goals by channel or audience segment to track progress more effectively and create hyper-targeted strategies.

MAXIMIZE MOBILE ADVERTISING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Did you know that according to our latest holiday trends guide, mobile devices accounted for the majority of digital holiday sales for the first time in 2023? This mobile-first mindset is more than just a one-time trend—it’s a long-lasting transformation in how consumers engage with brands during the holiday season.

Mobile advertising is a must-have piece for your holiday candy bowl. From geo-targeting to mobile-friendly landing pages, optimizing for mobile ensures your holiday gift buyers can easily research and purchase on the go. In 2024, mobile continues to dominate, and ignoring it is like skipping the best house on the block for trick-or-treating—it’s a missed opportunity for that full-size candy bar.

Trick: Don’t forget to optimize your checkout experience for mobile users. Slow-loading pages or complicated forms can scare away potential customers.

Treat: Leverage in-app ads or location conversions to drive sales from mobile shoppers already browsing on their phones.

BREWING UP EFFECTIVE CONVERSION TRACKING

Conversions are the sweetest treat during the holiday rush, and advanced attribution tools help you target consumers with precision. By tracking their journey across email, targeted ads, and social media, you can increase online sales and drive better overall campaign results. With audiences juggling year-end goals and scrambling for last-minute Halloween costumes, it’s crucial to stay visible throughout their journey. Keep your brand top of mind, ensuring you’re there when they are ready to make a move to take action.

Industry-leading tactics such as location targeting, behavioral search solutions, and tailored ad placements are just a few solutions that can elevate your holiday campaign. These tactics put your brand in front of consumers who are most likely to purchase, giving you an edge in the competitive holiday landscape. Accurate targeting equals better conversions, which equals a bigger bag of ROI treats at the end of your campaign.

Trick: Failing to implement proper attribution can lead to misleading results—don’t let those audience interactions go unnoticed!

Treat: Use multi-touch attribution to see how all your efforts are contributing to conversions, ensuring no leads are left behind.

STREAMING TV CAMPAIGNS: DON’T LET THIS BE THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

With more consumers cutting the cord, streaming TV advertising continues to grow in impact, making it one of the most powerful ways to reach audiences today. Streaming TV services allow advertisers to deliver hyper-targeted ads based on location, demographics, and viewing behavior—ensuring you connect with the right consumer at the right time.

By incorporating streaming TV into your holiday campaign, you can capture attention where traditional TV advertising can’t deliver. It’s no trick—streaming TV offers a modern way to engage with your audience while delivering a significant boost to your campaign’s ROI.

Trick: Don’t let your streaming strategy come back to haunt you—you can have attribution and campaign conversions through the big screen!

Treat: Interactive ads in streaming content can encourage immediate engagement and increase conversion rates—spreading more holiday cheer!

MAKE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON YOUR HIGHEST PERFORMING YET

The holiday season offers one of the most lucrative windows for marketers to capture increased consumer spending. Capitalizing on the holiday’s top trends doesn’t have to be spooky. By focusing on smart, data-driven decisions—like setting clear goals, leveraging mobile advertising, utilizing attribution tools, and embracing streaming TV—you’ll be able to maximize your ROI and take your holiday campaigns to the next level.

 
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