Small Business Holiday Marketing Tips

Christmas is Coming! Is Your Small Business Ready?

The days when you could start your holiday marketing in December are long gone. Regardless of what service or merchandise you provide, in 2018 you will have stiff competition, both online and for local shoppers. And you can bet your competitors are already plotting their first moves. To help you compete here are some of our favorite small business holiday marketing tips.

Keep in mind that you do not have to do everything on this list in order to have a successful holiday marketing campaign. Pick the ones that best fit your business and personality and start there. The idea is to have fun and be yourself, and at the same time generate more business by reaching out to your consumers.

Small Business Holiday Marketing Tips

Go Ahead. Decorate!

It’s Christmas, so dig out the ornaments and spruce up for the holidays. This includes everything from adding a few Christmas related images to your website, a few snowflakes for your email template and adding a holiday-themed profile image to your social accounts. And don’t forget your store locations!

Listen to Your Consumer!

Ask your customers what they want. It really is that simple! Do they want the latest gadget, or are they more interested in money-saving coupons? Post an online survey on SurveyMonkey or use your business website to survey your customers. Target your marketing campaign and messaging accordingly.

Design an Effective Landing Page!

Your ultimate goal is to encourage a purchase. Make that as easy as possible. Any landing page on your business website needs to focus on that goal. Your landing pages should be simple and direct, and focus on one product or service. Feel free to ornament, but don’t let seasonal decorations detract from the main purchase. Check out these tips for designing an effective landing page.

Give Your Customers a Sneak Peek!

Promote your holiday specials early, before all your competitors do! Host a preview sale, or other special event at your location, or feature a special offer combined with a teaser image or video clip online.

Get Creative!

Be cool and give your customers a glimpse behind the scenes. Showcase your festive brand, or perhaps your awesome customers. Show how easy and fun it is to prepare for the holidays with you and your team.

Make Them Feel Special!

Offer existing customers exclusive deals. Simple things like “Free Holiday Shipping” or a special coupon, code, or even discount on a future purchase work best. Offering your customers a deal that your competitors don’t will entice consumers to buy from you.

Send Them a Card!

This may sound strange in the digital age. But sending an actual holiday card can really make your business stand out. Thank your customers for their support and loyalty and wish them a happy holiday. This can have a big impact!

Customize Your Email!

Start reflecting the changing of the season. Simply by including autumn and holiday-themed headers can make a big difference. Visual clues are important to get your customers in the mood to purchase.

Be Social!

Be sure to engage your customers through all of your social media channels. Get consumers excited about your brand. Social contests like ugly holiday sweater or cutest pet costume contests are a great way to engage your audience and collect email subscribers.

Don’t Forget Pinterest!

Speaking of social media, don’t forget that Pinterest has been proven to drive online sales better than other social channels. Create a holiday-themed Pinterest board that promotes your seasonal offerings and products. Be sure to include the URLs for all your holiday campaigns.

Have A Holiday Party!

One evening during the holiday season you should extend your regular hours, or invite your customers to a private event at your store. Give them a special incentive discount only valid for this one event. Even if you do not have a physical location think about having a cyber event, such as a Google Hangout or TweetChat

Don’t Make Everything Promotional!

Stand out by sometimes NOT posting or sending out sales messages. They bombard everyone in the holiday season. Give your subscribers and customers a break and instead post a team picture in Santa hats or your neighborhood decorated for the season.

Get Personal!

This is the age of personalization. Make sure your messaging is targeted to specific segments of your audience. And make sure to include the recipient’s name. “Merry Christmas Jennifer” is so much more heartwarming than “Dear Customer.” Maybe even include a picture of your holiday party to show them how you and your team celebrate the holidays.

Don’t Forget Cyber Monday!

Even if you are a primarily brick-and-mortar business you still need to cater to your online audience. Not everyone will flock to your store the moment the turkey gets cold. Today’s cost-conscious consumer knows the best deals can be found the Monday after. Be sure to create an exclusive offer for your online audience.

Celebrate Small Business Saturday!

This Saturday is dedicated for small business owners just like you. Almost every city or small business association has special promotions, including special events and advertising and PR campaigns. Be sure your small business takes full advantage.

Plan for After The Holidays!

Today’s savvy consumers may even wait until after the holidays to complete their holiday shopping. Smaller crowds and bigger bargains are usually the incentives. Be sure to look beyond the traditional holiday marketing time frame to benefit from the entire season.

Getting Started!

Now you have our favorite small business holiday marketing tips. Use them to plan and implement your own 2017 holiday marketing strategy and campaigns. Your own holiday marketing will depend on your particular business, industry, and location, so feel free to adjust as necessary.

Here are a few things that will help you implement our small business holiday marketing tips:

• Take a look at last year. What worked, and what didn’t?
• Ask your team for input. How can they help?
• Consider bringing in outside help if you need it.
• Create as much content as you can ahead of time.
• Determine a budget, and stick to it!
• Be yourself, and have fun!

Here are some tools that will make things easier for you:

• Email Service Providers: MailChimp, Constant Contact
• Social Media Tools: SproutSocial, HootSuite, AddThis, and Agorapulse

Of course, some of you just don’t have time to even think about any small business holiday marketing tips. Many small business owners are simply too busy. If that is the case we recommend that you hire an outside agency or professional to give you a hand. Not doing any small business holiday marketing is just not an option!

We Can Help With Small Business Holiday Marketing!

Contact us to learn more about our small business holiday marketing services, and how our highly caffeinated team can help you get ready for a busy holiday shopping season!

And let us know how our 2018 small business holiday marketing tips worked out for you? Did you have a favorite? Which one was most appealing to your target audience?

Do you have anything to add to our small business holiday marketing tips? Please leave your comments below so our audience can benefit as well, and grab our feed so you don’t miss our next post! And give your audience an early Christmas present by sharing our small business holiday marketing tips with them!

Thank you! We appreciate your help to end bad business websites, one pixel at a time!

By ESPRESSO Team Highly Caffeinated Digital Creatives @ESPRESSOcreates