Bank Holiday Mondays are music to British workers’ ears. But what do they mean for business? Our Content Specialist Alicia Lewis explains how to keep audiences engaged on your well-earned day off.
Who doesn’t love a bank holiday? It’s the perfect time to book a getaway, catch up with old friends, or simply enjoy a Monday morning lie-in. While you’re hitting refresh, however, your site may be missing out on some serious traffic.
While 14% of Brits choose to visit friends and family over the long weekend, and 10% book a short break away, 36% spend their bank holidays simply surfing the web. From catching up with social media to doing some online shopping, this 36% are a captive audience for a well-thought-through campaign.
Here’s our guide to setting up a successful bank holiday campaign that will do your work for you, channelling conversions while you kick back and relax.
“Long weekend” is the phrase on everyone’s lips this week, from the office break room to Facebook walls. Don’t be afraid to join in the conversation, specifically referencing the bank holiday in your messaging.
Offering an exclusive bank holiday discount code could instill a sense of urgency in shoppers, convincing them to pick up a few holiday treats before the weekend ends. Likewise, a competition or giveaway will tap into audiences’ holiday excitement, driving engagement.
Share your offer or competition via social media, and encourage audiences to share the post with friends who could do with a bank holiday pick-me-up. Since 92% of consumers trust peer recommendations over advertising, tapping into organic social sharing adds a level of authenticity to your message.
Bank holidays are a time to unwind, so be wary about bombarding your audiences with hard-sell messaging. Instead, get them on side and make your brand stick in their minds with a fun multimedia campaign.
Last May we used year-on-year trends to anticipate a bank holiday dip in traffic for our property client Maslen Estate Agents. Instead of redoubling our buyer and seller specific messaging, we decided to offer audiences something lighthearted and fun, which they’d want to share with their families and friends.
We created a quiz, asking audiences “How Well Do You Know Brighton and Hove?” The topic was relevant to current and prospective homeowners in the area that Maslen service, and positioned Maslen as friendly Brighton experts.
Over the late May bank holiday alone, the quiz generated 190 views, and a further 443 into June. The quiz also led to a 2.27% increase in time spent on site, turning a weekend of potential low traffic into a period of high engagement.
Get brainstorming in advance, and consider how your product or service is relevant to the three-day weekend. Check out your audience profiles, and work out what your typical audience members are most likely to be doing with their extra day of rest - then figure out how you can help them.
Perhaps you want audiences to book a romantic weekend break, or invest in high-speed internet ahead of a decadent Netflix binge. In these cases, it pays to get the word out a fortnight or more in advance, capitalising on the spontaneity surrounding the long weekend, while giving audiences time to react.
Consider getting the conversation started with a holiday-ready guide, building trust with free, friendly advice. Our telecommunications and broadband client italk got into the holiday spirit this summer, channelling their family-friendly vibe with guides to half-term ready apps for kids and audiobooks and podcasts for the beach.
Promote your holiday guides via social media, and target them to your ideal audience to get them excited for the upcoming break.
Whatever your plans for the long weekend, you deserve a break. Just make sure you set up an engaging, creative and targeted campaign before clocking off on Friday.
Not only will it keep traffic ticking over until your return - it could also give you some winning metrics to look forward to on Tuesday morning!
Our digital marketing experts are full of innovative ideas for every season. Get in touch today and maximise your brand’s potential.
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