This is a guest post from Jonathan Lau, content and marketing manager at AdRoll, a leading retargeting platform.

Image source icanhascheezburger.com

It’s go time for marketers! While customers are busy wading through department stores bursting with decorations or beginning to research potential present ideas for grandma online, marketers are executing strategy carefully-devised many months ago.

A marketer’s preparation comes from experience. Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the weeks leading up to Christmas comprise one of the most, if not the most, busy and lucrative periods all year. In 2011, ComScore reported that “consumers in the U.S. spent $816 million online on Black Friday, a 26% increase over 2010’s Black Friday.” Just a few days ago, they reported, “online retail spending reached $41.9 billion for [Q3], up 15% versus a year ago.” Based on these reports, we can only expect stronger numbers this year.

Optimizely customers are data-driven decision-makers looking to get the most out of their site through testing. Here at AdRoll, we know that every advertiser is on the lookout for data-driven tips and tricks to boost their ROI. To that end, if you’re using retargeting in your marketing mix, you’ll want to take a few moments to optimize your campaigns before the mad holiday frenzy!

1. Integrate your approach. Campaigns targeting multiple networks ensure that your ad reaches your audience in as many places as possible. Earlier this year, Facebook launched Facebook Exchange (FBX), opening up advertising powered by first-party data, such as retargeting, to their 1 billion monthly users. AdRoll was one of the select companies granted access to FBX inventory and has served hundred of campaigns since with great success. Our initial results yielded 16x ROI on a blended attribution model.

If Facebook Exchange is not part of your retargeting strategy currently, it’s not too late to start. To find companies with access to the inventory, visit the Facebook PMD Directory, click “more options” and check “Facebook Exchange thru Real-Time Bidding.”

2. Beef up your online presence. During the holidays, it’s not uncommon for CPMs to rise with increases in online browsing and advertiser competition in the space. To make sure your brand stays top-of-mind, increase CPMs to ensure you’re still eligible for the highest-quality placements. In addition, increase frequency cap, or the number of times a day a user will see your ads. Because online shoppers tend to visit a plethora of sites in their research process, you’ll want to make sure your ad still makes the page!

3. Be specific! Include holiday-themed graphics and sale messaging, if applicable. In their 2011 Anatomy of Black Friday study, NPD found “almost 65% of tech shoppers actually ponied up for a product because they found it on sale.” With timely graphics and offers, shoppers will be more likely to engage with your ad, site and, ultimately, product offering.

Leverage the low hanging fruit of the holiday season when shoppers bounce from site to site looking for the perfect purchase. With smart messaging and a little bit of retargeting, shoppers could be more likely to click that coveted “buy” button.