Holiday Ecommerce
Good article on Holiday marketing strategies. Most Ecomerce retailers are putting finishing touches on their plans. I like the way this post organizes RETURN first. Always easier to sell MORE to people who already love you. I would add these tips for returning:

* Ask for advocacy.

* Gamify something.

* Curate something.

* Pad or Phone something.

Find a way to take some direction from your customers. When we ran out of sale inspiration we asked our best customers what we should put on sale when I was a Director of Ecommerce. We got great suggestions and sales. One great rule to ecommerce Internet marketing is when in doubt ASK.

This year I would make it a point to ASK for advocacy, create a game (or two or three) make sure you make your holiday gig MOBILE and curate something of THEIRS to your site.

Inbound Marketing
Some of the same advice, especially the mobile part, goes for inbound B2B marketing during 4Q. Create a cool User Generated Content (UGC) contest and curate content, ideas, comments and visuals from your visitors, customers, advocates and friends.

PPC
I wouldn't buy anything NEW during 4Q despite the incorrect belief that MORE can help if numbers start to dip. PPC is a TIMED and REPUTATION activity so double down on what is working but don't buy NEW until after 1.1.14.

End of the Never Ending Sale
What happens when we cry WOLF too many times? The villagers stop caring and wolves eat you. Our collective villagers are sending clear indication they are tired of the absurdity of the never-ending sale.

Content Marketing Benchmark Study
http://sco.lt/8eHui1http://sco.lt/8eHui1

Vision Purpose & Value Define New Social Media Marketing
http://sco.lt/6CXZ45 (via @BrianSolaris)

These two studies make it clear. Simply transferring brick and mortar's SALE SALE SALE online is a sure prescription for disaster. Content is KING and shouting SALE at the top of our lungs doesn't work anymore.

New Approach
Our new e-commerce approach must be consistent across channels, instantly relevant to a variety of customers, fun, easy to share and engaging.

Is saving money online important? Of course, but so is entertainment, knowing what my tribe of friends thinks (about anything especially as either price or novelty go up). So too is Save The World Marketing, that thing your brand does for the world that only it can do.

Today's Holiday E-commerce post is about how to create "Like Me" tribes (personas and segments) and then use your customer classifications to create great "Mobile First" marketing. 

The E-commerce teams that keep their content fresh and relevant will find mobile is a huge HELP to their marketing. Marketers whose emails look lousy on mobile or who aren't thinking like App Developers (i.e. lots of small cool games all relating to a goal and everything connected like Lego blocks) will find the holidays tough and not very rewarding. 

Turns out thinking like an App Developer is a good idea for every e-commerce merchant. Think small, fun and connected and your holiday marketing will win. Listen carefully and curate the winners and your holiday sales may set new records. 

THINK LIKE AN APP DEVELOOPER and diversity your holiday marketing, listen more than you talk, curate more than you create and make sure to share cool things across your entire ecosystem and your Holiday 2013 sales will set new records even if you aren’t/t screaming SALE at the top of your lungs :).