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It’s that time of year when we all begin talking about how the Christmas season seems to get going earlier and earlier. So let’s be proactive and wait until December before we start that up again. Instead, if you weren’t aware Cyber Monday is just around the corner.

Cyber Monday is the unofficial holiday on the Monday after America’s Thanksgiving long weekend. Thanksgiving starts and ends on the fourth Thursday in November, with Friday dedicated to another unofficial holiday called Black Friday. That Friday has now become the official kick-off to the Christmas shopping season, turning it into the biggest day for retailers in the US.

Cyber Monday was born out of jealousy. Retailers got lots of cash every Black Friday and online merchants wanted their own piece of the pie. Stores outside of The States sometimes observe Black Friday, but it’s still as American as stars and stripes and cowboy boots. Instead, what makes Cyber Monday special is that it’s become more of an international phenomenon.

Here are five reasons you want your business to Celebrate Cyber Monday:

Don’t Let The Big Guys Be The Only Ones

Past seasons have seen mostly the large retailers taking advantage of the day. Amazon, Best Buy (previously Future Shop) and so on were plastered all over the internet with their discounts. They’ve spent millions educating the public as to the day’s significance, so go with the flow. Customers will be primed on that day; odds are they won’t need a huge push to convert.

Shore up Those Reviews

Part of any good reputation management program involves being proactive with your online reviews. Praise and promote the positive and address (when possible/appropriate) the negative comments. With the uptick in online business that the day brings, those stars will matter when it comes to who decides to spend their dollar with you.

It’s A Good Excuse To Dust Off Your Mailing List

Email campaigns will be flying off the servers come Christmas. Soon inboxes will be full of Santa hats and other winter-themed emails showing off a range of discounts. With all those products on sale, getting a disinterested glance is what most campaigns will garner. Be first out of the gate and don’t get stuck behind the rest of your competition.

Also, it’s a good trial run before the Christmas season begins. It’ll give you a chance to collect some data beforehand and tailor your Christmas messaging with a greater degree of accuracy. Testing headlines, copy and even A/B testing your images can yield important data.

Pay-Per-Click Will Get More Competitive, So Start Early

Every year I see the average costs of PPC campaigns increase, some slightly, others more (retailers tend to be in the more column). The reason for this is that as the shopping season ramps up, PPC managers increase bids in order to out-compete everyone. This means that everyone has to raise the default bids and thus we get a taste of seasonal inflation; which, like eggnog, is wonderful for some, but pond water for others.

Fortunately, come January the PPC bids tend to drop to their usual levels, but it does mean that for part of the busiest selling period, you’ll have a higher cost and thus a lower ROI. Get a head start on everyone by running a PPC campaign around Cyber Monday. You’ll be at the front of the inflation wave and will have more control over the Christmas season. Now you know why department stores start playing “Jingle Bells” in August, being first is sometimes the best strategy.

Jump On the Social Media Train

I’m sure you’re seeing a trend already so I’ll keep this one short. For many, Cyber Monday is simply a commercial opportunity, which is a component, mind you, but it’s also a good chance to get a running start for the end of the year. Like with PPC, email and so on, social media streams will soon become flooded with season-specific hashtags and such. Jumping on them soon will give you a larger voice in the competition and the chance to direct the conversation instead of getting drowned out by it.

What do you think? Do you plan on joining in on the cyber festivities? If so, are you looking to sell or just get a head start on Christmas? Sound-off below. If you’d like to learn more about building a complete digital strategy, check out our digital marketing page.