The turkey has been consumed, Black Friday and Cyber Monday have run their course, and just like that… it’s December in the blink of an eye. Just because it’s early, doesn’t mean you can’t start prepping now. By prepping, I don’t mean hanging the ornaments or baking cookies… if you have a small business of any kind and haven’t thought about capitalizing on the Holiday cheer in December, you need to get on it! This post will help get you prepared for the incoming craziness that is about to ensue.
Even if It’s Small… Offer Something
Christmas is the biggest retail time of the year for retailers and businesses of all industries. No matter how big or how small you are willing to go, offering a deal in any shape or form for the Holidays is better than nothing. It doesn’t matter what your business has to offer, people are going to spend their money regardless, “Shoppers around the country say they are planning to spend an average of $983 for gifts this holiday season, up from $929 last year according to the 33d annual survey on holiday spending from the American Research Group, Inc. Planned gift spending for 2017 is $54 above spending in 2016” (American Research Group).
No matter what your service or product is, there is a way to connect with your audience. Whether it’s 15% off your order, or a BOGO Christmas special, anything helps, get creative with it! If there’s an item or service that hasn’t been selling well, slash the price. Offer it as “the perfect stocking stuffer!” People live for the thrill of getting a good deal on their gifts.
It’s NEVER Too Early
If you haven’t seen Christmas deals or decorations advertised when it’s still hot and sunny out… you’re living under a rock. The idea is to prepare for your holiday sales early and put together a strategy so when the time is right, promoting those sales will be a seamless process.
“Retailers and ecommerce businesses experience their single biggest days of sales on the 22nd and 23rd of December” (WebsiteSetUp).
Schedule your content in advance; the last thing you want to worry about is being a few weeks into December with no content and no plan in place. Whether it’s a scheduled email or it’s through AdWords or Paid Social, it is worth your time and investment.
Invest in Holiday Creative
Content is everything. Try to put yourself in the place of the consumer, what would catch your eye and get you to remember a “to die for” deal as your next gift purchase? It’s worth it to invest your time and money into creating “Christmas-y” type advertisements or campaigns.
It’s One Month Out of the Year
When it’s all said and done, if you do not participate in the Holiday craze it’s not detrimental to the success of your business. However, it’s one month out of the year that can have a BIG payout if you properly invest your time and efforts into it.
Let the madness begin. Happy Holidays!
About Jake
Jake McGrady is a Digital Strategist at Intuitive Digital. Born and raised here, Jake is a true Portlandian at heart. He earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing and minor in new media communications at Oregon State University. You can catch him applying the phrase “Go Beavs” to all aspects of life. In college Jake was heavily involved with OSU’s student media network, anchoring the Beaver Sports TV Show and co-hosting his weekly sports talk radio show. With his passion for digital marketing and social media, he also worked as a digital media intern for the Portland Trail Blazers and a marketing intern for OSU athletics. When it comes to the digital marketing field, Jake loves to learn and adapt to any new and exciting trends within the industry. In his spare time, you can find Jake going on adventures with his friends, co-hosting his sports podcast, or talking Trail Blazers basketball with anyone…literally, anyone.
Todd Mintz knows PPC…knows Social Media…knows SEO…knows Blogging…knows Domaining…and knows them all real well. He runs growth marketing for )and is also a Director & Founding Member of SEMpdx: Portland, Oregon’s Search Engine Marketing Association, and he can be found here on Twitter and Facebook.