Holiday shopping accounts for a significant portion of retail business sales for the year, so it’s smart to think ahead and use well-planned marketing campaigns that will help you make the most of your customers’ holiday spending.
Here are a few tips on how to get started:
The holidays are the perfect time to update your website. You can show off your holiday deals, let customers know about special holiday events, and if your business model and let customers know about holiday shipping deals or increased shipping speeds for the holiday rush.
This is a prime time to harness the power of social media for sales. Take advantage of existing holiday hashtags or create funny holiday-themed social media posts that your customers will think are worth sharing.
There’s always someone that hasn’t finished their shopping and is working on it last minute. Make posts the last few days before the holidays, with images of hot gift items and taglines that read something along the lines of “ Last minute gift idea!” or “ The gift for the friend that’s impossible to buy for!” Your post might be just what the last-minute gift buyer is looking for.
Don’t forget to include any special sales or holiday business hours in your posts!
It’s important to let guests know about your holiday deals as they enter your store with an in-store display. You can use window signs, banners, and flags at your store’s entrance to entice potential customers passing by.
If your business is located on a busy street, a holiday-themed inflatable is sure to grab the attention of those driving through.
There are many ways beyond basic social media to reach out to your customers online.
One quick and easy way is through email newsletters. If you don’t want to do this monthly, go with a quarterly newsletter — and the holidays are a great time to get started. Let current customers know about any upcoming special offers such as free shipping, discounts, or different shipping speeds for the holiday season.
It’s savvy to take advantage of relatively hands-off online marketing campaigns by using companies like Google Ads, Quora, or Microsoft Advertising. Most of the time these companies will offer a free ad for a trial period so you can take it for a test ride and see if it meets your expectations.
Social media companies like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest also have built-in advertising plans that start at just a few dollars a month. This is a great way to garner new customers using demographic advertising techniques that narrow down potential shoppers through age, sex, and location.