The holidays are one of the busiest times of the year as we juggle business with Christmas preparations. In anticipation of the festive season, we’re here to help you get organized and market your business over the holidays. Ensure you tick these six things off your holiday to-do list to get your business ready:
1. Plan Sales & Promotions
Consumers are on the lookout for the best deals this time of year. If you have a product to sell, consider promoting a special offer or holiday sale to increase sales. Determine which products you will have on sale and the reduced price before preparing your marketing material for in-store and online. If you offer services, consider delaying all or partial payment until after the holidays (for a limited time), or provide a bonus downloadable PDF that customers can buy.
2. Create Content Ahead of Time
We can’t stress this enough – start early and create content ahead of time. The lead-up to the holidays can be a tough time to get approvals. Create all of your content, including a social media calendar, social posts, e-newsletters and landing pages, ahead of time to prevent unnecessary stress.
3. Pre-schedule Content
Use social media platform scheduling tools and social media management software to your advantage. Pre-schedule your social posts, so you don’t have to worry about clicking ‘publish’ while you’re busy enjoying the holidays. Emails and e-newsletters can also be scheduled in advance, including post-holiday follow-ups!
4. Decorate
If you have a storefront, join in the Christmas spirit and share the joy with your customers. Step up your window and product display game and add a festive touch. Consider adding your favourite Christmas tunes to the store playlist and hanging Christmas lights. This is an opportunity to take photos, videos and more to create engaging social media and email content.
5. Run a Holiday Contest
This is the perfect time to run a holiday contest that can be promoted on social media to get your shoppers in the mood to celebrate. Some creative contest ideas include:
- Gift card giveaway that lasts 3, 5 or 7 days. Give away one high-value gift card, or several with a smaller cash value.
- In-store raffle to win a gift basket, product or gift card. Limit this to one entry per sale over $50 before tax or ask for donations to the charity of your choice to be entered automatically.
- Twist on Elf on the Shelf where you hide a decoration in-store or on your website to receive a discount when found.
Ensure that you are transparent and upfront about rules and regulations and terms and conditions (i.e. conditions of entry and closing dates). Follow your regional, provincial and federal contest rules and requirements, and check with current social media platform guidelines. Please note that this is not a substitute for legal advice. We strongly suggest consulting a professional legal team to draft or review your contest rules and policies before launching.
6. Update Your Store Hours
Inform customers of your revised store hours over the holidays in-store and online. Don’t forget to update your Google My Business listing, social media accounts and website with your holiday hours. It’s also important to create social media posts highlighting your hours or closures that customers can reference.
Contact the digital marketing experts at Sims Advertising to develop a marketing strategy for your business over the holidays.
