• by Maria Bailey , Columnist, November 20, 2015

My Thanksgiving grocery shopping is finished; my Black Friday list is ready (yes, I confess I am one of the 5 a.m. deal seekers, but I knock out most of my holiday shopping by the time my family has breakfast). And as I made my Black Friday list, I thought about the light-speed approach of the holidays and the last-minute strategies I would offer CMOs for maximizing holiday sales. After all, these next few weeks of holiday shopping comprise about 20% in annual sales, according to the National Retail Federation. 

1. Perk Up Pinterest. 

According to our research, Millennial Moms find products on Facebook but purchase from Pinterest. Make sure you have multiple boards where busy moms can find gift ideas, quick dinner recipes, crafts for the kids, how-to boards or time-saving products. Check for working links to product pages.

2. Review Your Reviews. 

I knew the number was high, but research for my latest book shows that almost 90% of Millennial Moms make a purchase only after reading a product review. I am often surprised by how many brands don’t pay attention to their reviews. My guess is that you’ve spent some of your marketing budget acquiring blogger reviews, but what about on sale sites, Facebook and Instagram? Respond to current reviews if necessary and encourage new ones anywhere your product is sold. On a related note, we don’t recommend paying for reviews. In fact, we strongly advise against it. However, there are plenty of ways to gain authentic reviews. The next time a happy customer contacts you, why not ask them to express their appreciation for your product by leaving a positive review? Sometimes your biggest fans just need to be encouraged to help your marketing cause and all you have to do is ask.

3. Ignite Instagram. 

Millennial Moms are visual shoppers. Engage your customers to post product images. Give them a reason to take photos in your retail locations or with your product in their home. Millennials (and the younger Post generation) love Instagram and an image of a friend using or wearing your product can be seen as an implied review. 

4. Venture Into Video.

Fifteen seconds is all you need and all the time you have with Millennial shoppers. Recognize the power of videos and the ease of posting them on Facebook and Instagram. Facebook videos can run a bit longer, but not by much. Concentrate on consumer-generated how-to and product videos that show the product being used. On the flip side, a majority of moms in our survey told us they also check a company website and will consider corporate product videos as a reliable source.

5. Don’t Exterminate Email.

With the evolution of social media, many marketers have abandoned email campaigns. But our research tells us that emails (mobile-friendly is a must) are still relevant for busy moms. Warning: email is relevant if your content is, too. Moms love an email with a special offer, deals and coupons. Related content like recipes and crafts for family and kids will get more opens. 

It’s not too late to make the most of the spending juggernaut that is Holiday 2015. Happy Thanksgiving!