Special events and holidays can be a make-or-break time for pay-per-click advertisers, but with careful planning and implementation you can make hay, and a lot of it, while the seasonal sun shines, remarks Chrysi Philalithes of MIVA.

Seasonal events, whether Valentine's Day, Halloween, Christmas or anything in between, can present considerable opportunities for pay-per-click advertisers. Search volumes around these events will always increase considerably, increases that could mean more potential customers visiting your website.

1. Adjust keyword strategies
A lot is written about the relative benefits of 'generic' versus 'specific' keywords, and this issue becomes increasingly important when planning seasonal campaigns. As a rule of thumb you should bid on more generic terms while seasonal events are still a way off, then bid on more specific terms as the events draw nearer.
 
Bear in mind the buying process of your potential customer -- from initial research/discovery right through to final purchase. For example, if you're a TV retailer, you should bid on more generic terms such as 'TV' or 'TV deals' while people are still at the early stages of researching gift ideas, but then shift to more specific terms such as 'low cost Sony Bravia TV' as people get closer to the point of acquisition.

Bear in mind that despite the natural cut-off imposed by seasonal events, people will still shop at different speeds. As a result, you should bid on a blend of terms throughout your campaign, but weight your keyword strategy towards more generic or specific terms depending on how close the specific event is.

You should also add seasonal-specific terms into your existing keyword portfolios. A florist, for example, should bid on 'Valentine's Day flower delivery', or 'Mother's Day flower delivery' rather than simply 'flower delivery'. This small change could help drive down your bid price and in turn increase your ROI.
 
2. Focus on your ad copy
In addition to keywords, make sure you also focus on the title and description of your ads. Include seasonal hooks to help add relevance, a level of urgency and, importantly, to increase the association of your brand with the particular seasonal event.

Consider also using your ads to turn negative market perceptions into positive selling points by developing, for example, campaigns that guarantee flower delivery before Christmas or reassure customers about exchange policies post-Christmas. Monitor the press to pick up on these issues, and be ready to amend your ad copy accordingly.

As seasonal events approach, competition for share of voice online increases. On particularly competitive keywords, be prepared to include special offers or promotions within your ad -- a well worded offer can mean the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity.

3. Think about your landing pages
With pay-per-click, ad and landing page should work together seamlessly to help drive optimum results. So, when planning seasonal campaigns don't just think about your keywords and the ad itself, think also about your landing page.

Consider tweaking landing page copy to highlight specific seasonal offers -- this helps add synergy between your ad and your website and will further strengthen your brand's association with whatever seasonal event you are looking to leverage.

4. Don't just believe the hype
Much hype surrounds the peaks and troughs in people's search behaviour and ecommerce habits in the days and weeks leading up to seasonal events, and while these statistics can be useful to inform your seasonal strategies, be wary of turning your back on your own sales data.

Historic tracking figures and sales data should form a central part in shaping your pay-per-click strategy, from initial keyword development to the tone of your ad copy and the scope of any special offers.

The direct response power of pay-per-click means that you should closely integrate your marketing, sales and fulfilment divisions to ensure campaign effectiveness.

5. Adapt and evolve
Once you've developed your strategy, don't stick to it! Sounds strange, but make sure you use the flexibility of the pay-per-click model to constantly adapt and enhance your seasonal campaigns. Look at how sales and stock levels are developing and be aware of what your competitors are up to. Optimise your campaigns accordingly.

Pay-per-click gives you the ability to stop seasonal campaigns as soon as events have passed, but bear in mind that the next event you want to target may be just around the corner. Don't lose the momentum of your campaign, but rather use it as a launch pad for more sustained marketing before the next seasonal drive kicks in.

Special events and holidays can be a make-or-break time for pay-per-click advertisers, but with careful planning and implementation you can make hay, and a lot of it, while the seasonal sun shines.

Chrysi Philalithes is VP of global marketing and communications at MIVA.