10 holiday marketing tips for small businesses

By: Rhonda Abrams, American Express

For many businesses, the holidays are the make-or-break season, but this crucial time of year can easily sneak up on you. It’s time to get ready now, before you get overwhelmed by the day-to-day holiday rush. Remember, more than a third of shoppers begin their holiday purchases by Halloween¹, so get in front of customers and prospects now to help set yourself up for a successful Small Business Saturday and make this your best holiday season yet!

How can you make the most of the holidays in your small business?

1. Get your name out there. If ever there’s a season and a reason to step up your marketing, it’s the holidays. Make sure customers and prospects remember you. Reach them through your social media channels (go ahead and boost some of those posts), start sending out email newsletters to your mailing list, and take out ads in local newspapers (and yes, many shoppers still read newspapers – especially ‘hyper-local’ papers serving specific neighborhoods).

2. Leverage Small Business Saturday. Small Business Saturday is now one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Customers specifically focus their attention on the small and local businesses that are such an important part of their communities – and they’re ready to spend money. Small Business Saturday is also a fun shopping day for many families, so make sure you’re an active part of it. Proudly display Small Business Saturday marketing materials to help customers remember that it’s great to “Shop Small” all year long. (You can download them for free at www.ShopSmall.com/GetReady. Terms apply).

3. Work together. Banding together with other local businesses – especially on Small Business Saturday – brings attention and draws customers to your locale. Work with a Small Business Saturday Neighborhood Champion to help plan and participate in local events. Your Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce is a proud Small Business Saturday Neighborhood Champion. Contact us to learn more!

4. Plan in-store events. On Small Business Saturday and during the entire holiday season, customers are looking for things to do (especially with kids). Plan events in your store or location. These don’t have to be big parties, just something interesting or fun. Independent bookstores have been leveraging Small Business Saturday to have in-store author events on the day and independent gyms have sponsored special free classes. Be creative!

5. Create bundles. Solve your customers’ gift shopping dilemmas by creating gift bundles (some pre-wrapped are great!). Select products by themes: “for him” “for her” “for your pet.” Customers spend more when they find gifts conveniently wrapped together. Here’s another advantage to bundles: they’re not easily available from discounted online retailers, which help you make the sale. Bundles aren’t just for retailers. Restaurants can pre-wrap gift cards with a menu or grocers can bundle a gift card with a shelf-stable food item.

6. Get social – in person and on social media. It’s a social season, so it’s time to socialize, both in person and online. During the holidays, opportunities abound to meet new customers. Attend community, industry, and neighborhood holiday parties and bring lots of business cards. Now’s the time to step up your social media activities and get in on the conversation around holiday shopping. Suggest cute or unique gifts or holiday survival tips. If customers have liked you on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, make sure you’re busy posting throughout the holidays. And be sure to use the hashtags #ShopSmall throughout the season and #SmallBizSat before and on Small Business Saturday to join the conversation on the day.

7. Remember existing customers. Want customers to remember you? Remember them:

Send greeting cards to your customer, prospect, and vendor lists. Give affordable gifts to your best customers
Throw a VIP holiday party or open house early in the season
Invite your best customers to one-on-one lunches or dinners as a thank you
Choose a “customer of the week” and feature them on social media
Give a charitable donation in a valuable customer’s name

8. Sell through ecommerce. Just as in physical shops, the holiday season is make-or-break time for online retailers. Driving customers to your site and then getting them to buy takes marketing, merchandising, customer service, and even holiday decorations. Merchandise your virtual “windows” by adding holiday themed visuals to your website, creating special holiday landing pages and gift bundles, and updating your website’s search engine optimization (SEO). Consider buying search engine ads and offering free shipping on purchases over $50.

9. Get found on mobile. Your customers are using their phones to search for products, get gift recommendations, and look for nearby businesses. Take advantage of the opportunities mobile devices offer. First, make sure you show up when they’re looking for a local business like yours by listing your business for free on all search engines and review sites. Then give customers a reason to check in on social media when they’re at your place of business – like offering a free dessert at a restaurant or a cute place to take a pic in your retail store.

10. Turn holiday customers into regular customers. You worked hard to get someone to come to your physical or online location, so find ways to stay in touch with them year round. Look for ways to collect their contact information, especially email addresses and social media handles. You can do that through offering small gifts or discounts when they make a purchase. Ask for permission to add their names to your email newsletter and request they follow you on social media, so you can connect with them in the New Year to let them know of future sales, special events, and new products or services.

With just a few simple steps, you can help set yourself up for success now and in the months to come.

¹National Retail Federation’s 2015 Holiday Trends and Expectations