Christmas Marketing Ideas
We’ve all presumably survived Thanksgiving and are now marching bravely forward like Rudolph into the blustery winter winds of Christmas.
And for any small business owner, what Christmas would be complete without a mad dash for some last minute profits before the height of the festivities?
You’re probably wondering “Is it even worthwhile to ramp up my marketing during the Christmas Season with so many people focused on holiday parties, shopping and travel?” The answer is “Absolutely!”
A well though-out out marketing plan can transform your December from a slow and possibly dismal month into one that breaks old records and sets you up for a rocking new year. Here are a few ideas to get you going…
Don’t be Afraid to Say Merry Christmas
In today’s politically correct world, everyone is afraid of offending someone, but is that really justified? In my opinion, it’s ridiculous, but it turns out that statistically speaking, at least in terms of email, people actually respond better to the phrase “Merry Christmas” than they do to “Happy Holidays.”
Send Out Dimensional Mail
Dimensional mail always works better than traditional mail, but it can have a tremendous impact at Christmas time because a promotional item and your company’s literature wrapped in festive wrapping paper with a bow on top is sure to be received and opened by your prospect rather than intercepted by a gatekeeper.
This is a sure-fire way to get noticed, remembered, and more often than not, make direct contact with a decision maker. The key is laser focus on a small, very specific list of prospects because your cost per piece is going to be higher than traditional direct mail, but your response rate is going to be higher – often exponentially.
Offer a Christmas Sale
Sales and discounts can often be counter-productive pricing strategies unless there is a very valid reason behind them. Fortunately Christmas and the end of the year are very valid reasons to hold a sale or offer a discount – just make sure it’s seasonally-themed so that everyone understands the reason behind it; more importantly, they understand that there is a limited window of opportunity to take advantage of your special pricing.
Hold a Christmas Party
Most companies hold some sort of holiday party but fail to use it to really promote themselves. A good way to do this is to hold a raffle where the winner will receive certain products or services for free. This is a great way to showcase some of your offerings to all of the attendees without coming off as being overly self-promotional.
Be sure to invite clients, AND prospects. It will give them a chance to meet and talk about your products or services, which will help build your credibility.
Send Gifts to Your Clients
Everyone wants to know they’re appreciated – especially your clients. Sending them a gift is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to do that while staying on their mind and setting yourself apart from the competition.
