5 Marketing Strategies for the Holiday Season

It’s already the Holiday season. If you are an entrepreneur or a small business owner, it’s a critical time to get your customers buying.

According to a report conducted by Field Agent last November, 44% of Canadians start their holiday shopping on Black Friday, Cyber Monday or earlier in November. Only 4% wait until mid-December or later. So, what do these numbers mean for small business owners like you? In a nutshell, Canadian consumers are expecting to spend an average of $1,593 during this holiday season, which represents millions of dollars spent across the country – and you need to be ready to claim your share.

Is your business ready to handle the increase in traffic? Do you have a strategy in place to attract new visitors to your store or to your website? Are you catering to your loyal customers? If not, here are 5 small business marketing strategies to increase your growth during this busy holiday season.

1.    Expand Your Product Line

Holiday is the season of gifts. Prepare new products to introduce, or think about repurposing your most popular items as part of a bundle that could be perfect for gift giving. You could also add a homemade element to your available products to make it more personalized and relevant to the Holiday season.

2.   Have a Sale

Everyone loves a good deal or a sale, especially during the holiday season. This strategy is effective if you are in direct competition with other small businesses around you. If you are selling similar products, what aspects will help you stand out? Most likely it’s going to be lower costs. Having a sale can also be a strategic way for you to make room for new inventory once the holidays are over.

3.   Offer special deals to your loyal customers

Offering customers deals on the things they buy the most is a great way to say “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Hanukkah”, “Happy Kwanzaa”, or just “Thank You” to your most loyal customers!

Remember, it usually costs you a lot more to acquire brand new customers than to retain the ones you already have. Another approach to increase holiday sales is to offer these loyal customers an even bigger deal when they refer your business to family or friends.

4.  Sell Through Different Channels

While retail stores take full advantage of the additional foot traffic of the holidays, you can do your promotion on social media or via email. Set up a marketing strategy to keep customers constantly engaged throughout (and beyond) the holiday season. You might want to include a countdown to your holiday promotion on your Facebook or Instagram page. Make sure your communication aligns both online and offline to avoid confusion. So if you’re selling an item for 25% off in an email campaign, confirm if it’s exclusive to online shoppers or if it can be redeemed in-store as well.

5.   Host or Attend a Holiday Event

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get your products in front of a larger crowd. Research fairs, festivals, and pop-up shops in your city and set up a booth there to draw more people to your business. Create your banner, brochures, holiday-themed treats and swag bags to entice people to stop by and to attract shoppers.

In conclusion

The Holiday season is a busy time and your customers are certainly going to be solicited from all around. When it comes to small business marketing strategies, your creativity is what will make the most difference. What do you have to offer that your competitors don’t? What will make you stand out during this holiday season? Whether it’s by proposing additional holiday-themed items or organizing a sale, you need to be creative. You can offer special prices to your loyal customers or attend a holiday event, but make sure these strategies are relevant to your business, so you can get the most out of this Holiday season.