With sales totals expected to top $1 trillion in 2018, comprising 25% of average total revenue¹, holiday shopping is critical to retail success – and it is starting earlier than ever. Peak shopping now begins two weeks before Black Friday, and one survey² found that 83% of consumers plan to start actively shopping for holidays by Halloween. This trend means that retailers need to begin planning holiday promotions earlier than ever.

Holiday shopping presents many challenges for a retailer. Demand can be difficult to predict, affecting inventory optimization efforts. And shoppers tend to do online research before making a purchase, either online or in-store. A retailer knows a shopper is interested in a specific product after a website visit – but how can a shopper be re-engaged if they leave the site without making a purchase?

Re-engage Your Audience with Offline Retargeting

Offline retargeting is a strategy that can help marketers reach interested prospects and improve conversions among holiday shoppers. With offline retargeting, a retailer sends a physical direct mail offer to a website visitor through the U.S. mail. Marketers can reach online prospects through an offline channel, targeting lost shoppers for conversion with a direct mail offer.

Offline retargeting allows a company to focus on those shoppers that have already expressed an interest in a product or service, allowing for segmented, precise targeting of those shoppers most likely to convert.

Direct mail response rates are rising³ – from 3% in 2015 to over 5% in 2016. And with advanced segmentation and precise targeting, those rates can be improved even further.

Focusing on the shoppers that have already expressed an interest in a product is an effective method of segmenting a large audience and directing promotion efforts efficiently. Data analytics can help segment audiences even further, allowing retailers to measure the level of intent and provide the most attractive offer at the individual shopper level.

An offline retargeting strategy that includes activation data tracking also provides a company with valuable insights into offline customer behaviors, which can be translated into measurable ROI and help drive decision-making in future marketing efforts.

Offline retargeting promotes omnichannel strategies, by converting online interest to offline contact and in-store sales. It builds brand recognition and strengthens brand messaging, by providing consistent interactions across many different channels.

A precise focus on those shoppers that have already expressed an interest in a product or service helps marketers to control costs, and produce effective campaigns with an improved ROI.

Holiday shoppers are inundated with choices in where and how to spend their holiday budget. One way to stand out from the crowd is to create a personalized experience, establishing a strong connection between the consumer and the brand. With offline retargeting that incorporates data analytics, a personalized offer can be sent to an interested shopper – one that measures the level of intent of that shopper, and presents the ideal message and offer value to encourage them to make a purchase.

Needing new ways to reach a greater audience and increase sales, create a personalized experience, and build brand recognition during the highly competitive holiday shopping season is a complex problem, requiring a creative solution. Offline retargeting is a crucial instrument for marketers that are looking to strengthen brand messaging and connect with an interested audience, while increasing sales and campaign ROI.

To learn more about the offline retargeting strategies that can help boost your holiday promotions, contact RevTrax or download the new eBook, “Unlock the Potential of Direct Mail Marketing with RevTrax Offline Retargeting.”

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Jonathan Treiber is the CEO & Co-founder of RevTrax

¹ https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/consumer-business/us-cb-holiday-survey-report-2017.pdf
² https://go.rakutenmarketing.com/hubfs/rakuten-marketing-the-gift-of-insight-holiday-report.pdf
³ https://thedma.org/marketing-insights/response-rate-report/