It’s October, not even Halloween, and I’m in front of you talking about the holidays already. I know, I know. But hear me out.
As a small business you’re already prepping for the holidays by ordering your inventory 3-6 months ago (if not more!) For most of us with retail businesses the holidays are the busiest season and when we make most of our money. They’re what keep us afloat during the slower seasons of the year.
Now is also the time to start prepping your holiday marketing so you can make the most of the busy season and help your customers spend money with you. Here’s a few ideas to get you started!
For retail businesses:
Gift guides
Take a few still photos or short videos and show off your holiday products in a range of prices that make sense for your customer. Put a few things together to make a gift set, or feature individual products. Set them to music and don’t forget to include a line that shares why the product makes a great gift and who it’s for.
Make it easy for your customers to choose your gifts by doing the work for them. Categories like ‘Gifts under $25’ or host gifts in a range of prices make it easy for someone to choose a great gift and check it off their list.
Another great way to show off your products are staff picks. Have your staff chose a handful of things that they’d love to be gifted and film a short video of them talking about why they’d love to receive them, don’t forget to include links to buy online if possible!
Special Events
Will you be participating in any holiday shopping events? It’s time to start putting together your marketing plan to communicate any special shopping events, wish lists, or sales. Think Plaid Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday. With big box retailers communicating their deals earlier and earlier each year, letting your customers know that you’re planning a sale can help your customers plan to spend their money with you instead.
Community events are also important at this time too. Promoting the events of the shops nearby is a great way to support your community and encourage foot traffic. Plus if your marketing is ready your neighboring shops can promote you too!
For service businesses:
Communicate your holiday schedule and let your customers know how to make sure they can work with you. If you’re a salon it’s time to be letting your customers know when they can book their cut & color ahead of their holiday party. If you’re a spa it’s time to start promoting gift cards and packages for services that people will book for loved ones. If you’ll be offering any holiday specials or hosting any client appreciation events, now is a great time to promote those as well!
Having your marketing plan in place means you won’t have to scramble at the last minute to send that Small Business Saturday email or be playing catch-up to get a post up on Instagram about your holiday deals.
