Guest Article Written by Carleen Moore owner of https://thebizbuzz.net/
The holiday season is upon us, and it’s time to work quickly to get customers to your physical and digital storefronts. While you most likely came up with a holiday marketing strategy a few months ago, the following tips may give you some new ideas or help you upgrade your plans.
If you have a brick-and-mortar store, break out the lights and decorations, but be sure to prioritize your online presence given the popularity of e-commerce. Personalized Marketing invites you to keep reading to learn how you can get more holiday shoppers this season, with strategies ranging from sending out emails, to creating holiday specials, as well as, attracting last-minute shoppers with video ads.
Create an Awesome Logo
What comes to mind when you think of the biggest brands in the world? Their logos. No matter the size, a business needs a great logo. It builds brand recognition, makes you stand out, and is a key place to start with your marketing. To save on cost, you can use logo design software that allows you to customize the imagery, font, and colors for creating a useful text logo. This will help your business shine during the holiday season.
Get Help from Professionals
As a small business owner heading into the busy holiday season, you’re likely already maxed out. Rather than adding something else to your list of things to do, hire freelancers to help with your marketing. They can take care of updating your website with seasonal deals, creating consistent content for social media, and carrying out any other strategies you’d like to use. Social media is huge for staying connected to shoppers, and if you aren’t already, be sure to get on TikTok this holiday season. TikTok agencies can help you create a strategy and relevant content. Find one that’s right for your business and your budget on job boards.
Location Marketing
If your business has multiple locations with different customer profiles and traffic patterns, various marketing techniques may be more effective in certain areas. For example, if you have a location in an area with a high walk score, then sandwich boards and other types of attractive signage will be more effective than it will be in a standalone location. Be sure that your marketing tactics benefit the locations using them.
Email Still Matters
GetResponse notes that the average open rate for emails hovers around 20% while the click-through rate is 2.13%. While this may not seem like a lot, if you have several thousand customers on your email list, you can easily find that you sell to a hundred or more people simply by sending out emails. Your email doesn’t necessarily need to contain a sale or special either. On the contrary, simply alerting people to new stock is usually all they need to at least check out your website. Friday is the day with the highest click-through rate potential, hovering at nearly 3%, so take advantage of that statistic and send out those emails right before the weekend.
Content Marketing
Email is just one part of a good content marketing strategy. Blogs and social media posts are other elements of this specialized area of marketing, which is intended to to build relationships and trust in your business, all to meet your goals. When you create and publish content online, content marketing sparks interest in your product or service and your network and brand grows. Check out Cornerstone Content to learn more about his unique area of business promotion.
Focus on Customer Service
Focusing on customer service during the holidays is crucial for any business. This is a time when people are highly sensitive and expect excellent service. Providing exceptional customer service can help build your brand and increase customer loyalty, leading to more sales in the future. Resolving issues quickly and efficiently is especially important during this time as customers are often pressed for time and have high expectations. Train your staff to be responsive and empathetic to customer concerns, and implement systems that allow you to handle inquiries promptly. By prioritizing customer service during the holidays, you can create a positive experience for your clients and ensure that they feel valued and appreciated.
Create Holiday Specials
In 2019, the average US household spent more than $1,500 for the holiday season. While this number slightly decreased last year, you can take advantage of those looking to spend this holiday season by offering deals and specials. Look to connect with potential customers by offering sales in email promotions. So, for example, you might consider giving new email subscribers 10% off if they place an order before Christmas or offer them a special present when they place their first order. There truly are no limits when looking to create email campaigns, but it’s important to get new customers by offering them some incentive to give you their email address. Creating a holiday giveaway on social media is a great way to engage shoppers and remind them of what your business has to offer.
Attract Last-Minute Shoppers with Online Videos
Did you know 2/3 shoppers say online video helped give them ideas/inspiration for their purchase? Why let those customers pass you by? By incorporating videos into your marketing strategy, you’ll be able to connect with customers in a deeper, more meaningful way by showing them how they can use your products. In fact, 66% of people say they’d prefer to watch a short video to learn about a product. To properly connect with potential customers, share multiple videos, with one showcasing the product and its features and others showing how you can use or wear it. These videos can also be used in social media campaigns as well, instantly catching potential customers’ attention spans in a few seconds. Consistently posting to social media is a great way to reengage shoppers that are considering gift options.
Getting your business ready for the holiday season can be fun as you prepare for more and more new customers to start rolling in, especially if you utilize proven methods to get people to shop with you. By using email marketing and email-only specials, you’ll be able to gather email addresses that you can use all year long. Keep your messages respectfully brief and to the point. It’s important to respect your potential customers’ time. Finally, don’t underestimate the power of content marketing and video when looking to make connections with potential customers and teach them more about your product or service. Don’t let this holiday season pass you and your business by.
For marketing, SEO, web design, and book formatting, visit Personalized Marketing today!
Visit Carleen and learn more about her at https://thebizbuzz.net/the-queen-bee/
Carleen Moore has more than 25 years of experience running her own business. Familiar with the unique challenges for women in business, she is also an advocate for female entrepreneurs everywhere. In her spare time, she loves reading and spending time with her French Bulldog, Nano.