Marketing Tips For The Holiday Season
Reader Digital • December 02, 2018
The holiday season is upon us, which means it’s time to trim the trees, hang the lights, and put the finishing touches on our shopping lists. And this year, those lists are poised to be longer than ever. According to a study from the National Retail Foundation, Americans are planning to spend more on their holiday shopping in 2018 than they did last year?to the
tune of 720 billion dollars.
With so many consumers eager to find the perfect gifts for their loved ones, the opportunities for seasonal promotions abound. But competition for holiday business is fierce ? which means you’ve got to have a solid marketing strategy to be able to stand out from the crowd.
To help your small business attract attention during the busy buzz of the holiday season, here are seven tips that will get your customers excited and your sales soaring.
1. Tap into people’s emotions
One reason people love the holidays is because it awakens a sense of nostalgia. They remember their childhoods, waking up on Christmas morning to find a pile of presents under the tree, then snuggling by the fire with a warm cup of cocoa in their hands. Hooking into these emotions with your marketing efforts can help you connect with potential customers.
2. Offer something special
Scarcity is a well-known marketing tactic, and one that’s used with significant success during the holiday season. Just think about how people will wait all year just to get their hands on a tall peppermint mocha at Starbucks during the month of December. You can use this strategy, too, by designing a holiday-only offering that disappears after the new year.
3. Create a holiday gift guide
Everyone has people on their gift lists that are hard to shop for. Gift guides featuring your products and services can help customers find exactly what they didn’t know they needed?simultaneously alleviating their burden and boosting your sales.
4. Partner with a charity
The holiday spirit is all about giving, especially to charitable organizations that need financial assistance. By partnering with a charity for holiday promotions, you can help spread the word about your business while also doing something good for people in need. Try donating a percentage of each sale to charity, or encouraging your customers to make separate donations upon checkout.
5. Stay fully stocked
If you advertise a product in your holiday promotions, you have to make sure you can deliver it. This is particularly important for bestselling items that you know will be in huge demand. Order more than you think you’ll need, because if you run out, customers will remember that after the holidays are over.
6. Get festive
If you have a storefront, make sure it’s decked out in lights, tinsel, and other festive decorations. Play holiday music in your store, and update signage to reflect the spirit of the season. And don’t forget to spread the holiday cheer to your virtual presence as well, updating your website and email campaign to reflect the holiday theme.
7. Use holiday hashtags
You’re probably already using hashtags on Instagram (if you aren’t, we can help you with that), but during the holidays, you can use specific seasonal hashtags to make sure people who are combing social media for holiday specials will find you. Better yet, to promote your business, create your own holiday hashtag and encourage others to help it trend.
Let Reader Digital give your small business a holiday marketing boost Need help getting your holiday marketing campaign in order? Reader Digital can design
a plan that will attract customers through the busy Christmas shopping season and keep them coming back long after the new year has begun. From social media strategies to original creative content, Reader Digital can help you navigate the crowded holiday marketplace.
Call us at (619) 483-4600 for your free digital marketing audit.
