It’s that time of year again! This holiday season may seem like it’s a long way off, but winter is quickly approaching. With the snow and ice on the ground, it can be easy to forget that this time of year has so much potential for business growth. It’s not too late to get started with your marketing plan! Here are some tips on how to start preparing for the winter holidays now and how you can grow your small business through them. The next few months will fly by before you know it! Get ready for one of the busiest seasons of the year by following these simple steps today:
1.Rearrange Your Business
Some changes you can make may involve rearranging or adding to your store. Winter holiday shopping requires a lot of space, not just for customers, but also for employees. Make sure that there is enough room so that everyone is comfortable and the entire process runs smoothly. If possible, try to set up your store so that it is an inviting experience for your customers.
For the most part, customers enjoy browsing around with other people and not feeling like they are blocking everything behind them. Set up areas where people can move around to look at different things separately without being in everyone’s way. Be sure to allow enough room for someone to pass through or aisles that are wide enough for customers to maneuver their carts easily.
There’s nothing worse than going out shopping with your family only to find it difficult or impossible to get around in the store you’re in. The Winter holiday season is big! Don’t let your business fall short this year because of not having a plan or not having enough room.
2.Take time to plan your marketing strategy.
Along with rearranging your space and preparing for the holiday rush, you don’t want to forget about marketing! Winter is a busy season for everyone, but it’s also one of the most crucial times when it comes to businesses. Since August is not too far off, start planning out different ways that you can promote your business. Since this is a highly competitive time of year, you’ll want to take advantage of every marketing idea that you can think of. Continuous promotions throughout the whole month would be ideal, but if your budget doesn’t allow for it, start small and build up from there.
3.Invite your customers to a holiday party
Nothing makes people feel more comfortable than meeting the people who work for your business. It’s another opportunity to show that you care and you’re interested in what they have to say. By throwing a party, also allows you to get rid of some potential problems before they happen.
4.Offer an online gift card for Christmas shopping
One of the most difficult parts for a business is getting their customer’s information. One way to get around this is to offer something that makes it easy to give and receive. Make sure that you’re offering your customers an online gift card so they can give from the comfort of their own home without having to go all over town looking for what their loved ones would like.
5.Offer a gift with purchase
Gift with purchase deals is great for getting customers to come in even if they weren’t planning on it. Offer something special during the holidays such as free shipping or a bundle package deal and make sure you inform your customers of what you’re offering so they can come to you for their holiday shopping.
6.Get everyone involved
If your business has other employees, don’t forget about the workers! Give them a chance to help out and plan for the holidays and it will make them feel included as part of the team rather than just another worker there that nobody really knows or cares about. Get them involved and help add to the holiday spirit by giving them a chance to contribute.
7.Make it easy for customers to contact you
If you’re hosting a winter holiday party, make sure that someone is around at all times in case your customers need help or have questions about something. If possible, leave some sort of contact information such as a business card or contact information on your desk. Let customers know that they can reach out to you if they need anything and make yourself available.
8.Participate in seasonal events
There’s nothing worse for someone who runs a small business than not getting noticed. Make sure that you’re taking advantage of different opportunities such as Christmas parties, winter holiday parades and different events within your community that you can offer giveaways for. Not only will you bring more attention to your business but it will give customers another reason to come in or visit with their friends.
9.Stay Active On Social Media.
Social media is huge when it comes to marketing your small business! It’s a great way for people to get information about what you’re doing and what services you have available. Make sure that any social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter are constantly updated with new posts so customers know they can come back again if they want.
Break into the Instagram Ads Game
Instagram is the ideal platform for showcasing your Christmas spirit! Users are already there, sharing family photographs and photos of their Christmas décor, so why not break through the congestion with a festive holiday advertisement? While uploading naturally to your account is fantastic, it’s worth investing some money in your best Christmas photos to truly stand out.
Whether it’s your employees dressed in ugly sweaters or your workplace dog dressed as a monster, go imaginative and happy to increase your Instagram heart count!
Get seasonal in Email
If you are not including the holidays in your email marketing efforts, you are making a big mistake! Holidays instill vivid memories in your shoppers’ thoughts, which is why luring them with festive seasonal emails is an excellent approach to stay connected in their inboxes.
For example, this marketing email from Rent the Runway immediately drew my attention. I may not have ended up renting for Halloween specifically, but it did remind me that I could use their service for an upcoming wedding.
10.Prioritize Customer Loyalty
One of the biggest keys to having a successful winter holiday marketing plan is making sure that you are keeping all of your customers happy and loyal. If they like what you’re doing or how you’re running things, then they’ll be more likely to keep coming back for more!
11.Get creative with Video Marketing
With the growing popularity of video marketing platforms like YouTube, Vimeo or even Facebook’s live videos, you can be sure that getting creative with your advertising will definitely help boost your sales. Start off by putting together a short Christmas-themed video and post it to your page so people can see how exciting you are making this season!
The holiday season is just around the corner and if you are a small business owner, this means that it’s time to start getting your marketing efforts in order. If you are looking for even more ideas on how to make an impactful impression in the marketplace then don’t hesitate to reach out! Our team can help provide insights into what works well when it comes to winter holiday marketing that will resonate with your audience. Have any of these strategies helped boost your sales or bring attention back around?
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