The lead up to Christmas is always a stressful time, especially for businesses – the holiday rush never seems to stop! Below you’ll find the ultimate checklist to help you and your business get into the holiday spirit and take advantage of the busiest season of the year.
Check your website and listing
Businesses that update their hours of operation during the holidays are valued highly by customers. Ensuring that you feature your holiday hours on not just your website, but your Google My Business, True Local and other listings, increases the likelihood that your business will show up in filtered search results.
People are also more likely to make a dedicated trip to your physical store if they’re confident that your business is going to be open.
Make sure that all sections of your website are updated with specific holiday information, including return policies, shipping, offer terms, etc. If your website features clear holiday policies and information, the consumer will feel confident in your business.
Pro Tip: Even if you are open over the holidays, set your listings as ‘special hours’ otherwise consumers might assume they’re not correct.
Say thanks!
The holiday season is the perfect time of year to show your appreciation and gratitude to your customers. Why not send out an email, newsletter or even a handwritten card for the ultimate personalised thank-you? This will not only make your customers feel valued but will keep your business top-of-mind.
Offer special holiday deals
One of the most effective ways to help maximise your marketing during the holiday season is by running special deals or offers. Christmas is the most expensive time of the year, and customers will be constantly searching for the best deals and offers available to them. It is important to make your offers as appealing as possible to get the greater advantage over other marketing competitors.
While more than a third (34%) of people are expecting to spend more this holiday season they are buying fewer products, being more selective and doing their homework, with seven in ten people conducting research before making a purchase.
Now is the perfect time to send emails to your customers with general or personalised offers to keep your business front of mind with your existing customers during this busy period. By sending out personalised offers, your customers will be engaged and are more likely to stay loyal to your business.
Get into the holiday spirit!
Catchy Graphics and Images
There is no better way to promote your holiday sales or events than sharing catchy graphics and images. Whether you are planning to use a banner to promote your Christmas offers or want to use a picture in your blog post, with tools like Canva readily available, you can easily create these images yourself.
Social Media
Modifying your social media platforms and website to fit the theme of the holiday season is the perfect way to showcase your creativity as a business. Including simple holiday elements in your icons, logos, photos or colour scheme will appeal to your customers.
Have you planned any holiday activities? Why not share these on your social media? Customers love to see engaging content and highlighting how your business is celebrating the holiday season encourages customers to engage with your brand and content.
Blogs and Content
Customers are looking for inspiration and guidance on what to buy, how to celebrate etc. especially during the holiday season. Writing holiday blogs is a great way to create useful and engaging content for your target audience.
ProTip: Schedule your holiday social posts and blog content in advance You can use social media management tools like SproutSocial or Hootsuite, you can easily schedule all your holiday posts across your platforms.
Organise a giveaway contest
The season of giving would not be complete without a holiday-themed giveaway or competition! Contests are a fantastic way to drive engagement on your social media account and traffic to your website.
Offer 24/7 Service – even over the holidays!
By enabling a Live Chat tool on your website, your business can engage with customers or potential leads over the holiday season when your business may be closed or working at a reduced capacity. The Live Chat feature provides a personalised and instant solution to a customer request and allows you to collect contact information from visitors so you can follow up and close the deal, enabling your business to stand out from competitors and turn site visits into sales.
Automate your leads
If you’re not responding to or following up with leads over the holiday period, you might be missing potential customers. Automating your lead management will help you to take a break and enjoy the holiday season, just like your customers! A lead management solution tool can not only help you keep track of all your leads in one easy place but can also show what marketing drove the lead to your business. It’s an especially handy feature for thinking about your 2023 marketing plan.
Leave it to the experts!
The holiday season is the biggest spending period of the year. Work with a marketing partner who can help you decide the best digital marketing activities to reach your customers during this busy season.
Jayde Nguyen