I don't know about you, but I'd like to make the most of summer while I can. However, now that great new fashion is hitting the shops, it is getting dark at eight and I don't dare to leave the house through the back door as some truly enormous spiders are barricading it, I know that not only is autumn upon us, the holidays are just around the corner.
As a Retail Search Media Analyst, I have interviewed my colleagues who specialize in various industries to tell you what to prepare for in finance, travel, retail, motoring and telecoms to make the cold season into a very hot one for PPC advertisers.
Finance
· According to our the finance gurus on our team, September and October typically see increased volume in searches for home and car insurance terms.
· In October, a new £10K limit comes out for Individual Savings Accounts for those over 50, so we're anticipating increased interest in this product around this time. New ad groups containing keywords around this should ideally be matched by targeted ad copy. adCenter demographic targeting will help you reach the right audience.
· People start researching gifts for the holidays as early as September, so searches for credit cards (to finance the present buying) tend to pick up around this time.
Travel
· Team Travel notices that late bookings are still popular at the writing of this post.
· In the last three months alone, searches for ski-related products have increased (12% YOY). CPCs around ski breaks usually start to get competitive in August and peak in December/January, so getting your campaigns and ad groups in order now will save you money later. If you'd like to try your hand at demographic targeting, it may be helpful to know that ski breaks are mainly searched for by the 25-49 age group.
· Snow is not for everyone; in fact many of us seem to yearn for warmer climates in winter, so short sun breaks are an excellent travel industry focus this time a year.
· In January most of us get a whole new holiday quota from work. This encourages a lot of people to research their holiday plans for the year, so make sure your campaigns are ready to benefit from this trend.
Entertainment
· Are you selling books, music, toys or games? Then you are probably looking forward to the holidays with a healthy amount of positive anticipation as all of these products are beloved gifts. The Toy Retailers Association (UK) announces on October the 28th what the most popular toys will be this year.
· Personally, I get a feeling of impending doom at the start of the football season (I might as well be single again), but according to our Entertainment expert, it presents an opportunity for advertisers that want to capture traffic related to the opening of the Sportsbook season.
Retail
· Halloween -- Being Dutch, I still watch the British/American obsession with fancy dress with a bit of astonishment. However, it is a popular event and if you sell treats/costumes/scary lanterns then this is your chance to generate some great traffic ahead of the holiday season.
· Home furnishings -- Benefit from people doing indoor DIY and hosts getting the house ready for Christmas and New Year's guests (beds and guest beds are especially popular). The January sale sees a steep increase in searches too but generally the whole 'cold' season is a good one.
· Home Appliances -- Searches for freezers peak before the holidays as people fret about where to leave all the leftover food from their gatherings. Dishwashers also see a spike in popularity as people are looking for time and energy savers after spending so much time in the kitchen doing food preparation.
· Whether it is the annual work holiday party or a festive family feast, one wants to look the part and we can tell. The trend line for the keyword 'party dresses' is as steep as Mount Everest from October onwards. If you are selling clothing & footwear, make sure you cover all important keywords and get some festive ad copy going on in your party wear campaigns.
Telecommunications
· Many people love gadgets and so the latest handsets make a wonderful stocking filler; ensure now that the latest handsets are included in your campaign and you'll reap the holiday benefits later.
· After the holidays, broadband connections are in demand. Our telecom colleague advises that increased demand may be generated by people who would like to get internet access sorted for gifts they received in December.
Motoring
· The Frankfurt Motor Show takes place in late September which usually boosts our motoring segment.