Small Businesses: Reliable Holiday Marketing Tips

Up to almost 35% of 2022 retail sales in the US (depending on the type of the retailer) happened between October and December. It is the holidays’ doing.

Of course, a lot depends on your business. If you sell gifts, you are naturally going to be selling more when people are looking for gifts. The same data suggests that book stores only make about 27% of their revenue in the last quarter of the year. It looks like physical books are not that popular as presents these days. 

However, 27% is also a lot. There is not a business, small or large, that can afford to ignore the holidays. How to make extra money while having fun and making people happy? Let’s discuss.

Develop a Strategy

It might seem obvious, but a strategy is absolutely a must! Everything will hinge on it, so it should detail the most important aspects of your marketing. Those are:

• the people you want to reach with your efforts;
• the messages that your brand will be sending this holiday;
• the channels you are going to use (for example, email, different types of social media, banners, web banners, etc.);
• the people responsible for making it all happen;
• the deadlines.

Each business is unique. You need to construct a strategy on how to do holiday marketing while maintaining the company’s image and values. 

Each business also has its own target customer. Keep that in mind while developing your strategy: what does your client need, want and enjoy? What do the holidays mean for them?

Consider an example: you sell craft beer. You do not need to worry about marketing to children. However, you have to make adult clients want to spend the holidays with your beer.

In addition, make sure that you review your strategy every time you apply it. Could something have been done differently? Maybe you are dissatisfied with the results and need to try something new. Or the strategy worked so well that you are beginning to establish traditions for every holiday. Either way, holiday marketing needs the planning and strategizing stage.

Craft Your Message

It is difficult but necessary to get the message right! You must have already formulated it during the strategy stage. But the ideas that you established need to be packaged nicely for your clients to enjoy.

Now is the time to hire specialists who will write your copy and offer media to go with it. Small businesses do not always have a copywriter or designer as a part of their staff. But with the help of freelancers, you can overcome this issue and have great-quality promotional materials corresponding to your message. 

Reach Your Client

A crucial stage: making sure that the client is actually aware of your efforts. It is now that you take the messages you have created and use them. 

Thanks to the Internet, even small businesses have a big reach these days. Your options for marketing are numerous, but you need to keep in mind the audience that you want to talk to. Do you have evidence that your intended client base likes TikTok? Go there! Do the clients respond well to emails? Emails are the way to go!

Don’t forget about User Generated Content (USG)! USG is a wonderful form of advertising, which you can encourage your clients to produce. When a person makes a video about you on TikTok or another platform, that is USG, and it does wonders! 

Exclusive Designs as Holiday Marketing

You can develop exclusive holiday designs regardless of the size of your business. You do not have to create something completely new: it can be a modified version of an already existing design. Think about adding a Santa Claus hat to your mascot’s usual attire, for example. It can be funny, cheeky, or sweet — or anything in-between. Just make sure that it fits your brand.

The design can be something small, like a sticker or a wrapper for a product. A service can simply include some sort of congratulation in written or spoken form. The point is to show that you are celebrating the holidays together with your client. Be creative — or hire someone to be creative for you! 

Happiness shared is happiness doubled.

Swedish Proverb

Holidays are a special time, and it is worth reminding people about that. Perhaps, you will get a smile and congratulations in return. This is a wonderful way to spread festive spirit, and it does not cost too much, which is important for a small business.  

Discounts, Bonuses, Oh My!

You knew this was coming. Remember when we talked about reaching your client with special, festive messages? Those messages better include a discount or bonus! People love presents, and a bonus or discount is the best present a company can offer a client and itself. 

Indeed, discounts and bonuses are good not only for clients but also for the business since they promote sales. You spread the festive spirit, make your client happy, and earn some! That is how holidays work for most businesses. What you lose monetarily with a discount comes back in the number of sales, an improvement in client loyalty, and positive, festive moods. 

Give Back to the Community

We had thought to stop with the bonuses, but another marketing option is important to mention. We need to remember that there are those in our communities who struggle. The holidays are a good time to comfort those who need it the most. 

A small business is uniquely suited to take care of the people in its community. Find a good charity, a local food bank, or another way to take care of those who need some help. 

Your clients would be glad to learn that their purchases improve the lives of someone else. And you will spread hope and happiness, which are so important to those in need.

In Conclusion 

Being a small business is not easy. You may be especially busy and have a lot of tasks during the holidays, which is, ultimately, a good thing. To make the most out of this special time of the year, prepare a strategy to reach your client with unique messages, exclusive designs, and discounts or bonuses. And if you also give back, you can truly spread happiness.

Headings: Career & Management