"Easter is a time for renewal, rebirth, and rediscovery, and technology has the power to help us achieve all three." ~ Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.
Technology has become an increasingly important element of Easter celebrations. During this holiday period, individuals and companies run targeted advertisements and marketing campaigns to promote products or services, substantially increasing online traffic.
Businesses can better prepare and plan by updating, optimizing, and maximizing technology to ensure systems remain intact during Easter.
UPDATE SOFTWARE
The volume of online shopping increases significantly during the Easter period, which can strain software infrastructures.
According to the world's largest retail trade association, the National Retail Federation (NRF), online sales this year are forecast to hit 33%, with consumers spending a collective $24 billion on clothes ($4 billion), gifts ($3.8 billion), candy ($3.3 billion), and flowers ($1.8 billion), to name a few. As more people use these digital services, developers should consider updating their software to handle increased traffic and usage.
With many people taking time off to celebrate Easter, employee absence and loss of productivity are other indirect impacts. It is important to have a team of IT professionals on standby to address issues, distribute traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server is overloaded, or increase server capacity.
Software applications such as Trello or Hubspot - designed to automate repetitive tasks, track progress and streamline workflow - can help increase efficiency during the busy Easter period.
Plan for potential issues during the holiday, including backup contingencies and recovery strategies.
OPTIMIZE WEBSITES
Website optimization strategies will enhance your online presence and attract more traffic.
Businesses should provide clear, up-to-date information about holiday opening hours and delivery times and ensure out-of-office messages are updated. Propose customer loyalty rewards or discounts to incentivize repeat business. Test online ordering and payment systems to ensure your website can handle increased traffic and transactions during Easter.
Keep employees informed on any changes to procedures or policies during the busy period. To best manage customer interactions, there should be adequate user support to address queries and technical issues.
With tools like Google Analytics, you can monitor visitor behavior and conversion rates on your website. By automating information retrieval and generating reports, you can analyze your site's performance and make data-driven decisions to improve it for the next holiday.
MAXIMIZE PLATFORMS
Relevant hashtags such as #easter (33.9M), #happyeaster (14M), #easterbunny (3.6M posts), and #goodfriday (3.4M ) can help increase visibility to reach wider audiences.
Understanding browsing habits during Easter is essential. Analyze past holiday content and engagement levels to determine the most relatable messages and campaign broadcasting times. Identify trends and incorporate them into relevant social media posts.
Share links to Easter-themed video content, animated shorts, holiday crafts, recipe tutorials, online egg hunts, tours of famous churches, or other related simulations.
Management tools automate posting and monitor accounts for issues or irregularities. Hootsuite is one of many platforms that allows you to plan and publish social media posts across various channels.
SocialPilot is ideal for teams and agencies. It is easy to set up, quick to schedule content, and has multiple options for populating your social media streams.
Individuals and businesses that update, optimize, and maximize will be better prepared to retain customers, boost revenue, and enhance brand reputation. However, if you're starting to crack under pressure, OBCIDO INC. is the only marketing team you'll ever need!