7 ways to level up your holiday marketing with Rakuten Viber

The holidays bring one of the year’s most important sales opportunities for businesses, and super apps like Rakuten Viber have taken center stage for successful holiday campaigns. As consumers become more digitally engaged, the way they interact with brands is evolving, and Viber provides unique opportunities for holiday marketing that can help businesses reach their target audience and drive results.

Viber for Business solutions enable you to create seamless, all-in-app customer journeys. Regardless of where your customer is in their journey, you can effortlessly continue the interaction and guide them to the next step. 

Whether you're looking to increase sales, build customer loyalty, or simply raise brand awareness, here are some effective strategies you can use to maximize your holiday marketing:

1. Leverage Viber Rich Business Messaging 

Rakuten Viber offers advanced communication solutions and features to engage customers, and during the holiday season, they become even more powerful. Here are some options you can incorporate into your holiday marketing campaign:

• Viber Business Messages: If your goal is to inform and engage customers about new products and services, Viber Business Messages are an effective tool. You can send personalized, one-to-one messages directly to clients who have given consent to receive notifications from your brand. Use Business Messages to reach your customer database with personalized, festive content. Whether it's a holiday sale announcement or a time-sensitive offer, customers can receive your seasonal promotions on the platform they use daily with friends and family - increasing visibility and conversions.
• Viber Chatbots: Holiday shoppers are often looking for quick answers. With Viber’s chatbot integration, you can automate responses to common questions about products, shipping details, or store hours. You can also set up holiday-specific workflows to guide customers through your special offers.

Use rich media, such as high-quality images, videos, and files, to create visually appealing business messages. You can share holiday-themed content like promotional videos or gift guides to spark interest, add emojis for a playful touch, and create compelling messages of up to 1,000 characters to keep your audience engaged. 

To boost chatbot engagement, customize buttons to guide users through seamless interactions, and enhance the experience with holiday-themed stickers and GIFs that add personality. Create carousels showcasing festive products to drive purchases, while providing personalized recommendations that resonate with your audience. These features not only capture attention but also foster deeper connections with your brand, improving customer satisfaction and driving conversion.

2. Personalize messaging for a better customer experience

Personalization is key to standing out during the busy holiday season. With Rakuten Viber, you can send customized messages that speak directly to your audience’s preferences and behavior. Here are a few ideas how:

• Send relevant content: Integrate your CDP or CRM system with Viber Rich Business Messaging to analyze customers, segment your audience into different groups (e.g., frequent shoppers, first-time visitors, high spenders), and send them tailored offers. Personalization can go beyond names to include product recommendations based on previous purchases or browsing behavior.
• Share holiday greetings: A simple, heartfelt message can go a long way. Send personalized holiday greetings to your customers to show appreciation for their support over the year. This adds a personal touch that helps build brand loyalty.
• Offer exclusive deals to loyal customers: Create VIP promotions or exclusive discounts for your loyalty club members. Offering these special perks makes customers feel valued and encourages them to repeat purchases from your business.

3. Run targeted ads

Viber Ads allow businesses to run targeted ad campaigns that reach the right audience at the right time. This solution is perfect for holiday marketing and, among many use cases, it allows you to:

• Raise awareness and generate new leads: Use targeting capabilities to reach users who may be new to your brand but share similar interests or behaviors with your existing customers. Run eye-catching ads that highlight your unique holiday offerings, keeping your brand top-of-mind for your prospective audience.
• Retarget past customers: If you’ve been running campaigns throughout the year, you can use Viber’s retargeting capabilities to re-engage users who have interacted with your brand but haven’t converted into paying customers yet. Retargeting can help you fight cart abandonment, upsell and cross sell during the holiday season.
• Create seasonal promotions: Launch geo-targeted ads to reach customers in specific regions with localized holiday promotions. Whether you’re running a holiday discount or promoting an exclusive event, location-based targeting can ensure your message reaches the right people.
• Facilitate conversions: With the Click-to-Message solution on Viber, you can drive simpler and faster conversions from your ads. This solution pairs ads with a chatbot: users click the ad, interact with a pre-defined chatbot, and complete purchases in just a few clicks. It’s ideal for businesses looking for quick, effective conversions without the need to build complex chatbots. 

4. Engage with customers through interactive content

The holiday season is about connecting with your customers in fun and engaging ways. Viber offers several interactive options to make your brand part of the festive excitement:

• Virtual showrooms: Use AR-powered Viber Lenses to create a virtual try-on experience. During the busy shopping season, customers will appreciate the option to try products from the comfort of their homes. Your Lenses can link directly to your website or Viber Chatbot, allowing customers to complete their purchases in just a few clicks. See how KIKO Milano used this solution to simplify the shopping experience for their customers
• Branded stickers: Viber Stickers allow your brand to integrate seamlessly into users' conversations. Create holiday-themed stickers that feature your brand and encourage users to share them with their contacts. This provides organic exposure and makes your brand a part of the conversation. You can also link the stickers to a Viber Chatbot, guiding users to subscribe when they download your sticker pack. This helps build awareness and creates a lead generation funnel during the festive season.
• Holiday Gems: Viber Gems are animations triggered by specific keywords in user chats which offer exclusive brand placement, since only one brand can reserve them at a time in each market. You can brand these animations during the holidays to seamlessly become part of the celebrations. For example, in Greece, Fanta joined the carnival celebrations in user chats, Puma launched branded animations during the European Championship, and in the Philippines, Nestlé Nido became a part of customers' Mother's Day greetings.

If your goal is to attract a new audience, you can create effective 360° campaigns that lead users to your chatbot, providing a seamless customer experience. For example, you can launch Viber Ads, branded Stickers, and AR-powered Lenses—all directing customers to your chatbot on Viber to drive conversions during the holiday season. Additionally, to boost your brand’s visibility, you can use branded Gems that appear in response to holiday-related keywords, immersing users in festive vibes for greater engagement.

Example of a 360° campaign for Valentine’s Day

5. Track performance and adjust your campaigns in real-time

One of the biggest advantages of using Rakuten Viber for holiday marketing is the ability to track campaign performance in real-time. With Viber’s analytics tools, you can monitor seen rates, click-through rates, and engagement metrics to see how your messages and ads are performing.

If you want your campaign to perform better, you can quickly make adjustments to optimize your efforts. For example, you can tweak your messaging, target a different audience segment, or experiment with a different type of content to see what resonates best during the holiday season.

6. Build long-term customer relationships beyond the holidays

While the holiday season is a great opportunity for short-term sales, it’s also important to think about long-term customer relationships. Use Rakuten Viber as a channel to foster loyalty and keep your audience engaged well beyond the holidays:

• Customer support: After the holiday rush, customers often have questions about their purchases, like how to use or assemble them. And since 91% of customers prefer brands that offer the option to message or call for support, it’s important to have both of these options available to them. Keep your Viber Business Account active and responsive with chatbots and business messages to provide quick support. While Viber Business Calls enables customers to call you for free from anywhere in the world - whether they can’t continue typing or simply because it’s easier to explain certain details over the phone.
• Post-holiday promotions: Don’t let the momentum stop when the holiday passes. Run post-holiday sales and promotions to capitalize on the ongoing shopping mood and clear out leftover inventory.
• Customer feedback: Ask customers for feedback on their holiday shopping experience with your brand. This shows you care about their opinions and can help you refine future marketing strategies.
• Subscription offers: Encourage customers to stay connected with your brand by offering subscription options for exclusive offers, early access to sales, or birthday discounts throughout the year.

7. Stay ahead of trends with Rakuten Viber’s innovations

Rakuten Viber is constantly evolving, introducing new solutions and features that can further enhance your holiday marketing campaigns. From raising awareness and generating new leads to driving sales and building loyalty, Rakuten Viber is helping brands create more dynamic and effective campaigns to achieve different business goals.

Make sure you’re taking advantage of Viber for Business solutions to stay ahead of the curve and maximize your holiday marketing impact.

Level up your holiday marketing campaigns

The holiday season is the perfect time to connect with your customers in meaningful ways, and Rakuten Viber offers an array of tools to help you do just that. From personalized messaging and interactive content to targeted ads and performance tracking, Rakuten Viber can elevate your holiday marketing efforts and drive real results.

By creating a festive, engaging, and customer-centric experience on Viber, your brand can stand out from the competition, build lasting relationships, and make the next holiday season your most successful one yet.

Ready to get started?

If you're looking to elevate your holiday marketing strategy on Rakuten Viber, reach out to our team for more tips, tools, and best practices!