5 tips for holiday promotions

While sending holiday greetings and thank you’s are important this time of year, you also want to shake up your marketing tactics. Here are a few tips to consider as part of your holiday marketing plans:
Even though your marketing efforts should be a year-round effort you might want to consider shaking things up for the fall and winter holiday seasons. Many businesses, other than those in retail, experience a bit of a slump during the holidays so you want to make certain your customers remain engaged and connected throughout the season and into the new year.

While sending holiday greetings and thank you’s are important this time of year, you also want to shake up your marketing tactics. Here are a few tips to consider as part of your holiday marketing plans:

1. Make certain your website is ready for the holidays: If you operate an online business you will likely decorate your site with holiday decorations. Changing the look and feel of your site is a simple, usually overlooked touch that invites visitors to stop in and look around a while. The change can be as simple as asking your web designer to decorate your logo in a holiday theme – and it’s something that can be reused annually. Don’t forget your social media pages or your on hold messages, either; and you can easily customize your Facebook and Twitter pages for the season.
2. Incentives and giveaways: It’s not only the online and mall retailers that can draw the shoppers in with promotions and giveaways. No matter what your business or industry, there is a season-appropriate discount you could offer your customers. How about a buy-one-get-one-free deal or a percentage off with purchase. And remember, even if you’re offering your holiday incentive deals in your mailings and on the website, you should be updating your on-hold message to let your potential customers know what’s going with your promotions.
3. Use email to market: Don’t bombard your customers with email but remember it is a great, low cost way to keep in touch. The most effective use of email marketing – and this holds true throughout the year – is to market to those you already have a business relationship with or those who have expressed an interest in learning more about what you have to offer. Because your customers are pressed for time and likely stressed keep the email short and to the point, use a subject line that clearly states your intention, “Thank you for your support, here’s a special offer for you,” and decorate your emails with a holiday theme.
4. Incorporate a holiday theme with your marketing strategy: Offer a “25 days of Christmas,” or a “12 days of Christmas” theme. Feature a new service or product every day or once a week for the holidays. Tease the customers with what’s coming so they are on the look-out for your emails to see what the next featured item will be.
5. Have enough help on hand: If your marketing strategies are effective you want to make certain you have enough staff on hand to deal with the influx of new business your marketing efforts will reap. Consider hiring temporary staff to keep the phones answered and orders processed.