Tips for first timers planning holiday campaigns

For those embarking on their first holiday campaign, my key advice, especially when leveraging a platform like Braze is to focus on a crawl, walk, run strategy and prioritize foundational elements for maximum impact. And of course, as always, focus on the customer at the center of your strategy!

• What gets measured gets managed! Focus on defining clear and measurable goals. Define specific KPIs like increased sign-ups, first-time purchases, repeat purchases, app installs, etc.
• Start with your core channels and master them. While cross-channel is ideal, for a first campaign, perfect your email and SMS strategy first. Ensure your opt-in processes are clear, your segments are clean, and your messaging is compelling. 
• Embrace personalization from day one. Even simple personalization, like product recommendations. Focus on setting up clear personalization strategies that will boost engagement. 

And lastly, have fun! If this is your first holiday season, know there will be highs and lows, but the focus has to be on the entire season. Once it is over, be sure to pull together an After Action Review to note your wins and losses so you can learn what you can do better next year.