As Christmas draws closer, you want to think about the most effective ways to market your small business throughout the holiday period. The weeks leading up to Christmas are the perfect time to ramp up your marketing and maximise sales.
Our guide gives you some easy ways to improve your Christmas marketing.
Begin the countdown
Some people find the build up to Christmas exciting, others find it stressful. Your Christmas marketing campaign should start with the countdown to the big day, offering all the festive fun without the stress.
Timely offers and helpful tips to keep customers focus on what they need to do at each step are the key. This about what they might need to be doing now and craft your marketing to support these actions. Being relevant at the right time is the key to happy shoppers.
You can help reduce the stress by releasing new Christmas deals each day or week during the lead up to Christmas.
For example, a deal on Advent Calendars in late November is a good then shifting to deals on decorating for Christmas in early December.
Pay attention to your mobile shoppers
Whilst some shoppers still prefer to head to the stores during November and December, many of us are now seeing the benefits of doing the Christmas shop all warm and snug at home. Mobile phones have also helped to make it even quicker to grab a bargain at any time.
If you want to reach more of this online/mobile shopping audience then you need a fast website that makes a breeze of ordering and paying for items otherwise, these impatient shoppers will go elsewhere.
It’s never too late to take the time to optimise your site for better speeds and improved mobile viewing and purchasing.
Offer the unexpected
Many small businesses fall into the habit of offering the same old Christmas promotions every year. Think hard as to whether you do these because they work or simply out of habit.
As highlighted above the secret is to be relevant at the right time, but add to this a fresh twist. Being different or unexpected helps capture your audience’s imagination and makes you stand out from the competition.
Whilst increased costs and small profits margins can often be an issue for small businesses, finding new and ingenious ways to offer your customers a better deal at Christmas can have a more permanent and positive impact on your business.
A big trend already this year is Christmas with a sense of humour so try injecting some joy into your offers.
Remember to say ‘thank you’
Christmas is a time for friends, family and the spirit of giving, so don’t forget to remind your customers that you appreciate their support.
I have seen great notices about the value of supporting small businesses and it’s good to show customers they are part of a positive community fulling innovation and growth in the UK.
Also, consider thanking your wider business network and all the people that help make you a success. It’s not just being nice it could help improve your connections in 2017.
Target the late shoppers
Finally, remember to create a foolproof marketing plan for those last-minute shoppers.
Every year, there is that group of people who either don’t have the time or simply forget about their Christmas shopping. These last minute shoppers can be incredibly important for your business, so try to accommodate then any way you can.
Ideas can range from the incredibly simple, such as a discount on next day delivery, to something a little more in-depth, like the ultimate last minute gift guide. Whatever route you decide to take, make it easy to get those final orders in before Christmas.
