Boost Holiday Traffic and Sales with These Proven Marketing Methods
Many small business owners have a love-hate relationship with the holiday season. They love the potential for extra sales and food traffic but hate the stress and uncertainty. If you're struggling to come up with holiday marketing ideas that will get people in the door (and spending money), never fear! The Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce compiled a list of tried and tested holiday marketing techniques that are sure to help your small business succeed this holiday season.
Host a Workshop
Workshops are always popular, but hosting one specifically focused on the holidays is a great way to get people in the door and generate some extra revenue. You could host a wreath-making workshop, for example, or cookies and gingerbread house decorating class. Get creative and have fun with it!
Offer Seasonal Giveaways
Everyone loves a good giveaway, and offering seasonal giveaways is a great way to attract new customers and show your appreciation for existing ones. Try a holiday countdown with a different prize or discount every day, offer a free gift with purchase or provide loyalty points that will pay off in the new year.
Give a Gift Guide
Dot.vu notes that gift guides are always popular around the holidays, so why not create your own and share it with your customers? You could even make it interactive by embedding links that take people directly to the products you're featuring. This is a great way to boost sales and help your customers out all at the same time. After you create your guide, whether it’s in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint, convert it to a PDF document to make sharing via email and social media easier.
Add a Personal Touch
There's nothing like getting a festive card in the mail from someone you know, so why not extend that feeling to your customers? Personalized holiday cards are a great way to show your most loyal customers that you're thinking about them this time of year. You may also want to include a coupon or promotional code to entice them to visit your store.
Stay Active on Social Media
Social media is more important than ever during the holidays, so make sure you're staying active and engaged with your followers. Share festive content, run social media contests, offer special discounts—whatever you can do to spread some holiday cheer on social media, do it.
Partner Up
Teaming up with other businesses in your area is a great way to cross-promote and reach a larger audience than you would be able to on your own. See if there's another business you can partner with for a holiday promotion or joint giveaway; you never know who you might reach.
Switch to Holiday Packaging
Your packaging is the first thing customers see when they receive their order from you, so make sure it's festive and gets them in the holiday spirit! You could switch to red and green tissue paper, add some gold accents to your boxes, or use stickers with holiday themes like trees or snowflakes. It's all about making that first impression count.
Raise Money for Local Nonprofits
What better way to get into the holiday spirit than by giving back? Use your platform as a small business owner to raise money for local charities during the holidays. You could run a donation drive in-store or online, host a bake sale fundraiser, or simply include information about how customers can donate on your website or social media channels. Every little bit helps.
Provide Free Gift Wrapping
Customers will appreciate not having to wrap their own gifts, plus it gives them one less thing to worry about during what can be a hectic time of year. Smart Retailer suggests standing out from the competition by offering free gift-wrapping services this holiday season.
Boost Local Involvement
There are always plenty of community events happening around the holidays, from tree lighting ceremonies to themed performances. See if there’s any way you can get your business involved, even if it’s just setting up a booth at an event or passing out flyers. It’s all about getting yourself (and your business) out there.
Small businesses have enough on their plate during the holidays without having to worry about marketing; however, effective marketing is key to driving sales and keeping customers coming back for more. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with the above holiday marketing ideas that are sure to help your small business succeed this season.
Connect with and learn from other local business leaders by joining the Peabody Area Chamber of Commerce.