Ready or not, Holiday Season 2017 is upon us. If you have a seasonal business (or even if you don't), the holidays present many unique opportunities to let your business shine.
Our first suggestion: Review this Small Business Trends article sharing 50 thought-provoking (and potentially rewarding) holiday marketing ideas.
Here are nine ideas to get you going, from Small Business Trends, and your friends at MarketingTango:
- Decorate your website. Put your holiday spirit on display and surprise customers with stockings, holiday trees, or stacks of gift-wrapped presents. You might also develop a holiday-themed landing page touting seasonal promotions.
- Announce a Facebook holiday photo contest. Create a competition around having followers post holiday photos. There could even be an off-line component - print out the finalists and create a poster displaying the best entries.
- Cross-promote with coupons. It's a good idea to include a coupon or special offer with every purchase. This year, attract customers from other local businesses by sending coupons to the business's customers - and vice versa. Holiday hint: Date the coupon for after the holidays so customers will come back for more in the New Year.
- Create a holiday-themed YouTube video. Produce a video that puts your holiday spirit on display. Think outside the holiday gift box with a parody of a favorite holiday song or story.
- Host a thank you dinner. Reward special customers by treating them to lunch or dinner during the holidays. (Holiday hint: You might have better luck with this idea if you don't schedule the meal too close to the actual holiday.)
- Be featured in Holiday Gift Guides. Do some of your products make thoughtful gifts? Try connecting with local bloggers and see if they will share your products in a gift guide.
- Post a creative holiday hashtag. To boost engagement on Instagram, come up with a holiday hashtag and encourage customers to share how they use your products.
- Gift some holiday swag to your people. Much of the client-pleasing swag you give to your customers can double as thoughtful gifts for employees. From inexpensive ear buds and blue tooth speakers to ritzier items such as embroidered jackets, let your imagination (and your budget) be your guide.
- Be active - and passive - with your holiday campaign. Some of the ideas above are designed to stimulate business now, which you might call the active part of your marketing. But other ideas - such as a memorable gift your client is likely to use and hold onto, or a holiday blog expressing your company's appreciation for its customers - are more passive in nature, with a far softer sell. See if you can mix in active and passive aspects for your holiday campaign.
The holiday season can be challenging to small business people trying to promote their products while spending quality time with family and friends. But it's also brimming over with opportunity for smart, creative integrated marketers. Cheers to a happy and profitable season!
Last modified: October 9, 2017
