Business tips this week cover some great Christmas marketing ideas for small businesses to help you make the most of the festive season. As the cost of living crisis continues, shoppers are finding themselves with less and less money to spend — and SMEs are feeling the impact. But that doesn’t mean that Christmas is cancelled. With the right marketing strategies in place, you can still enjoy a profitable holiday season.
Christmas goods
If you sell products that are specific to Christmas – or particularly popular as gifts — now is the time to push them to the forefront of your business. Make a dedicated landing page to promote these items, packed with smart design features such as call-to-action buttons and customer testimonials to drive conversions. You might also want to consider publishing a Christmas gift guide on your business blog, suggesting products for certain family members and friends. The more eye-catching you make it, the more shareable it becomes — and the better chance you stand of attracting new shoppers to your site.
Festive-themed contest
Another good, Christmas marketing idea for small businesses is to plan a festive-themed competition. Although giving away products for free might seem counterproductive, you can ask entrants to perform several valuable tasks in return for a chance to win. Such as following you on social media, signing up for your email list, or sharing your content online. And in terms of marketing value, this can often outweigh the cost of whatever prize you decide on.
Discount timer
Around this time of year, you’ll see many small businesses using countdowns to Christmas as a promotional tool — and there’s a good reason why! Typically, this approach involves choosing a set period before the big day — the 12 days of Christmas, for example — and promoting a different discount, offer, or competition for each. Because they are only available for 24 hours, these deals create a sense of urgency, to which shoppers are more likely to respond.
Free shipping and returns
During the Christmas shopping period, lots of people might want to choose SMEs over big, multinational brands. But shipping plays a big part in their decision. After all, individual fees from multiple sellers can soon add up to a significant chunk of money. If you want to stand out from the competition, consider whether you can afford to offer free shipping and returns.
As December approaches, you’ll also want to make sure you’ve got plenty of relevant content to see you through the season. This can be something simple, such as Christmas-themed blogs and social media posts, or something a little more interactive. Why not invite your followers to participate in a Christmas tree competition, for example, or photographs of their pets in festive gear? Remember, the more you get people interacting, the more visible your business will become.
Instead of conclusion
Finally, while Christmas marketing can deliver huge rewards, it’s important to stick to your budget and not overspend. A GoSolo Business Account is a great way to manage marketing budgets and much more, keeping track of your income and expenditure all in one place.