The holiday season is upon us, and it’s not just the smell of pumpkin spice that’s in the air. With more consumers opting to shop earlier, turning to streaming TV and embracing online shopping more and more, you need to bear in mind three crucial things to maximize your sales and engagement efforts this holiday season.

Get in front of the early shopper

The most significant change in timing is that consumers are shopping earlier. And it’s not just a matter of getting a head start on their holiday shopping list—it’s a genuine change in shopping behavior. The rise of online sales and promotions that start earlier in the year means that people are looking for deals well before December rolls around.

There’s no denying that the Cyber Week sales have a massive impact on holiday shopping trends. In a recent report, Experian found that Cyber Week accounted for a whopping 8% of total consumer holiday spending, which is a significant increase from prior years. But how can you take advantage of this shift in timing and ensure that your promotions are reaching the right people at the right time?

Sell-side targeting is your answer. This approach allows you to have control over where your ads are placed, ensuring maximum visibility through direct connections with publishers. Whether your customers are on mobile, web or connected TV (CTV), this seamless ad experience will engage your audience effectively.

Embrace streaming TV

Another critical factor to consider when developing your holiday marketing strategy is figuring out the right engagement channels to tap into. As the media landscape becomes increasingly fragmented, streaming TV has emerged as the top engagement channel for holiday spenders.

If you’re looking to allocate your marketing dollars wisely, you might want to consider dedicating more resources toward streaming TV. This approach will allow you to reach your target audience and overcome fragmentation. A three-pillared approach to streaming TV advertising that includes first-party data onboarding, digital identifiers and consumer data that work together can achieve holistic identity and address fragmented TV consumption.

CTV interoperability also allows advertisers to make the most of high-impact ads with strong targeting precision. By focusing on your audience and messaging strategy first, you can work with partners to scale your efforts and achieve your goals.

Tap into the rise of online shopping

The rise of online shopping shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Online sales continue to outstrip in-store shopping, with a steady year-over-year increase in online sales vs. a similar decrease in in-store sales. As a result, you need to recognize that the final point of sale for your customers is likely to be online.

While in-store purchases remain the primary choice for holiday shoppers, consumer online and offline activities intersect before the final purchase. It’s easier for consumers to comparison shop for large ticket items online that they might find at a mass retailer or office supply store. They also might prefer to have larger or bulkier items shipped directly to their home for minimal cost. By shopping online, consumers can save time because they don’t need to go from store to store or wait in checkout lines.

With more consumers choosing to shop online for convenience, cost-saving, and time efficiency, it’s essential to diversify your marketing channels to cover all bases. An agnostic identity graph can help you bring together device and media data, capturing valuable user insights. By gaining a holistic view of your target audience, you’ll be able to optimize your ad spend, allocate resources effectively and ultimately boost your ROI.

Win this holiday season

This holiday shopping season you can be primed for success if you know what to expect from consumers and what they’re looking for. By understanding the trends that will shape the season, such as timing, embracing streaming TV and recognizing the continued rise of online shopping, you can optimize your engagement efforts, reach more customers and boost your bottom line.

So, start preparing earlier, invest in relevant solutions, and work with trusted partners to generate maximum returns this holiday season.