The holiday season means an exponential increase in shopping and sales. This means more consumers in and out of the doors of your business. Or, if you’re an online business, more users visiting your website. So, now is the time to ask yourself a few questions:
- Are you doing all you can to maximize your sales?
- Are you prepared for the increase in demand?
- How will you capitalize on the holiday season for your business?
In this blog, we’ll offer a few marketing tips to win this holiday season
Offer Specials, Rewards, and Sales Promotions
Think about when you go shopping. Aren’t you always looking for the best deal? The same goes for just about every other consumer, especially during the hustle and bustle of the holidays when they may be trying to stretch their dollar further to cover all the gifts, etc., they need to purchase.
This is why offering holiday specials, rewards, and sales promotions are crucial to your business around the holidays. Seeing these promotions will not only get them in the door but can entice them to spend more money with your business. For example, if you offer a buy two items, get 50% off your next purchase. Now they’re buying two items and potentially a third, as opposed to just one item.
If you’re concerned about providing a discount, consider this. “Giving away” 10-20% of your margin means you’re still making 80-90% of the sale… which, without the offer, could have been 0 if you didn’t make the sale.
The holiday season is about giving, and your potential customers want to be on the receiving end of that exchange.
Some ideas for effective and enticing offers include:
- Come in on a certain date and get X
- Buy one, get one promotion (retail products, meals, etc.)
- $X amount off a total check or X% off a total purchase
- Limited time, enticing bounce-back offers
- Complimentary dessert or drink with a meal
Pay to Play – and be festive
We discussed the effectiveness of Pay Per Click, or “PPC,” in a recent blog. The holidays are a prime time to utilize that tool or other paid efforts (Facebook ads, traditional media outlet website advertising, or otherwise) to amplify your sales. The competition will be higher during this time, so you should consider “paying to play” in addition to your organic efforts to make sure your offers are seen.
Your advertising should be strategic, of course, and targeted. Make sure they are well-branded and on channels/sites your audience(s) frequent. But don’t forget to have fun! Consider adding a festive, fun flair to your ads.
Create ads that play to the emotions of what your product or service would mean to someone around the holidays. These emotions could be inspirational, heartfelt, or even humorous.
Hashtags, Hashtags, Hashtags
According to Statista, 82% of the population in the United States has a social media account. To reach the maximum number of people with your business, you need to be on social media.
One of the best ways to create awareness about your business, i.e., deals you offer, different aspects of your business, etc., is through hashtags. Hashtags enable people to see your content even if they don’t follow you. If you use a hashtag they follow or are interested in, they will be exposed to your content – then, ideally, they’ll engage with you.
Primarily used on Instagram and Twitter, hashtags are a way users can share a specific message, view certain content, and find content related to those hashtags. It is also a way to start trending on social media so more users see your business.
To start, research hashtags related to your industry, location, and/or theme or sale. Compile and use those in future content. Then, continue to update the list with new trending hashtags.
Taking advantage of the holiday season requires a sound strategy. No matter what business you are in, you will need to plan ahead with how you want to approach the holidays. If you’re looking to amp up your business this year and win the holiday season, we’d love to help. Contact us, and let’s discuss how our team can partner with you to bring results this year.