As consumers deck their halls with holiday decor, they also stock their fridges with more wine than in any other season.

And with family travel at an all-time high during the last few months of the year, hospitality marketers should connect with consumers who plan ahead.

In fact, the majority of national brands start planning their marketing campaigns for the holidays in September, if not earlier.

But for digital marketers, social media allows for more leniency thanks to the seemingly “real time,” and ongoing content creation. That doesn’t mean that marketing people should wait until the last minute to plan a holiday campaign (or – even worse – wait until the day of and share a blurry iPhone pic with no CTA).

With a little bit of prepping before we get into the thick of the holidays, North Bay marketers can promote their products or services early and keep the momentum going through the Time Square ball drop.

Here are five tips for getting your holiday digital marketing started:

1. In order to look forward, make sure to look back.

Look at digital marketing insights on social media and Google analytics from the past few years. Note any trends that appear during the holidays that may differ from the rest of the year. Check out which pages on your website tend to get more traffic during the holiday months (Oct – Dec). Write these trends down, and brainstorm ideas for promotions and holiday gift sets with your team.

Read more: Holidays are great time to build social media relationships