Bright Marketing Ideas for the Holidays
Looking for ideas to promote your small business during the holidays? Whether you own a virtual store or rent a retail space, you can use special times around the year to engage with customers and increase your sales. And here are six brilliant suggestions to get you started:
When You Run a Brick-and-Mortar Store
Offer Free Gift Wrapping to Your Customers
A gift-wrapping station with colorful rolls of wrapping paper, ribbons and bows, pretty gift bags, and silk paper or decorative gift boxes could be a great addition to your store during the holidays. When a customer makes a purchase, offer free gift-wrapping to add your special touch to their present and to make their holidays a little easier. And think about offering “buy one, get one half off” (or free!) deals so that your customers pick out a little something for themselves as they shop at your store.
Decorate Your Store Inside and Out
Add extra sparkle to your store’s windows and catch the eye of passersby with seasonal decals and decorations. During the hours when you see heavy foot traffic, think about using an outdoor bubble machine, playing festive music, or hanging flags to make your store stand out. Inside, if space allows, put up a Christmas tree or other appropriate decorative items for the season, and display your products and offerings wrapped in or surrounded by colors that match the holidays.
Organize a Sidewalk Sale Event With Other Retail Stores
Get together with businesses on your street and discuss opportunities to combine your marketing efforts. Think about planning an event where shoppers can spend an hour or two going from store to store. Make it fun for kids and adults alike with a scavenger hunt game, inviting visitors to find items “hidden” in your shops. Have a cookie-decorating and hot cocoa table set up. And give discount coupons to one of the other stores on your block when a customer makes a purchase.
When You Run an Online Business
Offer Special Holiday Promotions
Make use of your email list and design a festive flier to announce a special promotion on products or items you’re selling. Free shipping is always a great incentive for online shoppers, and not just during the holidays! Think about adding a free gift or some product samples with your delivery, and offer the option of gift wrapping and adding a personalized message when your customer is buying a gift for someone else.
Create a Gift Guide
Create blog posts on your website that will serve as gift guides for your online shoppers. Find a niche market for your products and target a specific segment of customers: make a “Wish List for Moms” before Mother’s Day, a gift guide for couples before Valentine’s Day, a back-to-school gift guide for students and teachers, etc. The more creative and different your ideas, the better! You can even get together with another business to cross-promote your items on your respective websites.
Share Festive Content Online
Create a short and festive video or a funny photo with a clever caption using a meme editor, and post your visual content on your social media channels. In it, you can feature your products or simply showcase your brand and keep it top-of-mind during the holidays. Don’t forget to include your logo to increase brand awareness! And if you think yours needs a revamp, work with a graphic design company that will bring your brand up to date without costing you a fortune. You’ll attract a new crop of followers just in time for the holidays!
The holidays are a great time to come up with creative ideas to promote your business. Think about targeting specific customers with your marketing and offering them little extras as a thank-you for their patronage. And reach out to other businesses for cross-promotions that will benefit everyone.
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