The holiday season is nigh and one can almost hear the cash registers clink as the money rolls in. ‘Tis the season for spenders and businesses alike—if you get it right.
Just because it’s the time when people spend more than usual, it doesn’t mean that the money will come rolling in. You have to work for it. After all, every business out there vies for a slice of the holiday market. So how are you going to be different?
Start early
If you haven’t already laid the groundwork for your holiday marketing campaign, what are you waiting for?
Begin those promotions on your digital marketing channels; social media marketing can be done quickly and efficiently with minimum hassle, especially if you draft some expert AI (Artificial Intelligence) assistance.
People somehow spend a lot more time on social media—Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, and so on during the holidays to keep an eye out for good deals and discounts on gift items. So don’t lose out on this opportunity; advertise and promote as much as you can across various social media platforms.
Also, be sure to dress up your website with some festive cheer. Make it attractive enough for people to want to visit. Combine customer visits with giveaways and discounts.
In addition to this, don’t be afraid to engage some social media influencers to also make some noise about your brand before the holidays. You know what they say—the early bird catches the worm!
Be creative
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t be creative throughout the rest of the year, but Christmas gives you the chance to be extra creative. A favourite advertisement that sets the tone for the season for me continues to be the Coca-Cola advertisement with Santa’s face on the side of the train as it whizzes by a little boy standing in the snow. Santa then comes to life along with his sleigh as it arches through the sky. Advertisements like these are memorable no matter how many years pass by.
Therefore, go all out and set the tone and mood for the season. Create emotive ads and promotions that have meaning for people during this time. Encourage people to not only purchase your brand but to also think of the less fortunate at the same time. Coupling your promotions with charity projects will certainly go a long way in connecting your brand to empathy and generosity of spirit.
Furthermore, reach out to your regular customer base to offer them ideas that will help to make their seasonal celebrations memorable. For instance, if you sell furniture, send them images of how their living room could look with a new sofa set complete with Christmas-themed throw pillows. You could even offer to buy back their existing furniture at a good rate. Think outside the box!
In the spirit of being creative, don’t leave out those precious email campaigns and direct mailers. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of email marketing! There is no better time to send promotional emails to customers and prospective customers. These can even be personalised with customer names with a unique and hard-to-ignore subject line so that they open the email rather than send it to their junk folder straightaway.
Since it’s the holidays and customers are on the hunt for gifting ideas, ensure that emails carry pictures and links to social media sites and promotions. Make their navigational experience easy and fulfilling.
Do you see what I see?
Blogs. Christmas blogs are a great way to reach customers this season. Articles on Christmas decorations, cooking ideas, DIY gift ideas, shopping, etc. will be all the rage as more people look at increasing holiday cheer within their means. Link these blogs to your brand so that there is credibility associated with the advice.
Speak to people’s hearts through your content, whether it be social media, blogs, or emails. People are extremely emotive during this time, so engage with that by posting pictures of families celebrating or even stories of people who have moved mountains to be with the ones they love. Your brand can be part of their story.
Spend more to make more
Yes, Christmas is a time for giving—mostly money. This is doubly true if you have a business. You might need to spend more during the season to see better results, but that is part of the deal. Engaging influencers, rolling out the campaigns, hosting events, etc. may cost a little more, but budget for this. Christmas is the time that people the world over give gifts to their loved ones and also treat themselves, even if they don’t do so the rest of the year. That’s a huge market just waiting to be tapped.
And of course, plan before you spend. This is a given no matter what time of year it is. Don’t overtax your budget by spending more than necessary. You can spend within your means and still reach some substantial targets. Consider cutting down on certain areas of the business to increase the promotional spend in other areas. You can always pick up on these areas after the season is over.
On a final note, remember that every business out there is competing for a part of the Christmas market. Think about what you can do to make your business stand out.
(Anouk De Silva)