Who doesn’t want to end the year on a high note? With the holidays and the New Year approaching, it’s a crucial time for businesses looking for a holiday marketing strategy to boost sales and end the year on a high note.
In this article, we’ll explore a “12 Days of Business” strategy, offering practical tips for maximizing holiday sales each day leading up to the peak shopping period. From enhancing online presence with festive promotions and SEO optimization to leveraging social media for engaging holiday campaigns, the article will provide advice tailored to all types of businesses – yours included.
We’ll also outline offline strategies such as decorating the physical store to attract more foot traffic, hosting holiday events to create buzz, and offering special promotions or loyalty rewards. With this comprehensive toolkit, you’ll not only increase sales during the holiday season – but also strengthen customer relationships and set a robust foundation for the new year.
Feeling the holiday blues? Manage your time and holiday stress this season with these proven strategies.
Holiday Marketing Tips to Boost Your Sales
1. Start Early
It’s never too early to get planning for your holiday sales and events. You want to be able to slide from holiday to holiday without a lot of planning because you’ve already done it ahead of time. The shopping seasons also seem to be getting longer and starting sooner – especially this holiday one.
2. Make a List
Before you start making changes, identify what you want to get out of your efforts. Do you want to increase sales? Grow your followers or clear out inventory from the back room? Take time to think about the “why” of what you’re doing before you get started on the “how.”
3. Develop a Plan – and a Calendar
In social media marketing, marketers develop plans and make a calendar for when they want the posts to go out to the world. You can take a similar approach in marketing for optimal holiday sales.
Start with a blank calendar and fill in a variety of sales and marketing techniques. Make sure you space out in-store holiday events with other events, and be consistent in your social media posts throughout the days.
You could even start with smaller deals, and then offer larger deals up to the 12th day – which could be an in-store giveaway, big sale, holiday party, or other event. Garner excitement in the days leading up, so you can grab as many followers – and sales – as possible.
The holiday season brings excitement and opportunities for you and your business, but it’s important to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Here are some tips to help you stay balanced during the holidays!
4. Market Your Sales Promotions and Events
Once you have your calendar set, you should start promoting your sales and other fun and engaging customer events.
For starters, post on your social media daily, if possible. You can also talk to other business owners in the area about cross-promoting with them. Use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to improve visibility for your content. If you’re a bookstore, perhaps you can partner with the local coffee shop to place social media ads about your 12 days of deals, for example. For email marketing, use your email list to send out flyers or a newsletter with upcoming events customers can follow. Put up signs and make online videos to drum up excitement. You can name your campaign “12 Days of Deals” or something similar that applies to your business.
5. Engage and Execute on Your Holiday Marketing Strategy
Now that you have your reasoning and your calendar of ideas, it’s time to execute on them. Start offering those promotions, sales, events, and more, according to your schedule. Continue to promote them, and make sure you’re ready for the inevitable holiday rush.
If you have an event, take photos or video to post on your website and social media channels. The more hype, the better. You can even host a photo contest or think of another way to get the shoppers engaged.
6. Track it All
Just because you have a set calendar doesn’t mean you can’t make a change if something isn’t working. You can always cancel a type of event that’s not getting as many people in to your business, and then engage in another way. Update and learn as you go, as you do in business. You can track clicks to your website, sales made in store, and social media likes, too.
Many businesses don’t track the impact of their marketing this time of year – make sure you do so next year you know what works and what doesn’t. You’ll save yourself time and money.
7. Give a Gift or Holiday Bonus
Your shoppers are shopping for gifts for others, but it’s also a good time to give them a gift. Daily offers like snacks or treats, a free coffee or other small gift can go far. You should also have ideas of gifts put together in baskets so shoppers can run in and grab an easy gift for a loved one. A holiday gift guide of the biggest deals sent via email is a smart way to get shoppers excited about heading to your store.
8. Show Gratitude
Saying thank you goes a long way, whether it’s a hand-written thank you card, a coupon and a candy cane, an email, or an in-person verbal thank you. In today’s fast-paced world of TikTok videos and online streaming, a pen-to-paper card may be a shot of nostalgia that hits home – and helps build customer loyalty with your target audience.
9. Make it Mobile
Most of us don’t sit at home in front of desktop computers all day, even when working from home. So, utilize the mobile phone in everyone’s hands by sending texts and email messages so you can reach people wherever and whenever. This time of year is busy for everyone, so it’s helpful if you can reach people while they’re out and about and show them a sense of urgency to get their shopping done.
10. Be Merry
Making your store, shop or café merry can mean a lot to your shoppers. While it’s true they are shopping for gifts for others (and sometimes themselves), putting up decorations can set the tone and get them in the mood to purchase gifts. String lights and decorations, showcase trees, a menorah, or candles by the register, and offer a hot cocoa station or bowl of chocolates by the door.
11. Host a Holiday Soiree
Shopping online at the holidays is fine, but many people like to embrace the cozy and festive atmosphere of in-store shopping this time of year. For those that do, host a party or holiday event that makes your customer base feel special – after all, they’re your loyal customers so they deserve a gift this time of year, too. You can even partner with another local business to offer other goodies at your event, and help them promote their goods and services, as well.
12. Bundle, Ship, and Wrap
It’s the perfect time to offer special discounts. Put together limited time gift baskets that are easy to grab and go, and offer free or low-cost shipping and wrapping services. It’s just one more step to make customers appreciate your store, and show that you appreciate them.
Want more holiday marketing tips? Get an in-depth guide to marketing for the holidays here.
Boosting Holiday Spirit – and Sales
Following the 12 steps above should give you an advantage and help you provide a festive season for holiday shoppers while you also do a little holiday advertising to boost your goals. Enjoy the season!
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