5 Fun and Easy Holiday Marketing Ideas

The holiday season is the time of year that businesses can be made or broken. Many businesses, such as retail, depend heavily on the holiday season that runs mid-November through New Year’s Day. This is one time of year that you should not skimp on the marketing! The holidays make marketing so much fun – the contests, the deals, the relevant engagement – everyone needs to get into the spirit!

• Adobe estimates an increase of 2.5% in holiday online sales in the US alone. –Adobe
• By 2022, e-commerce retail sales will claim 16.3% of total retail sales. – eMarketer
• Big e-commerce brands outperform small businesses, with the first witnessing a 110% increase in revenue and the latter 104%. – Adobe
• The retail categories that have the highest share of total holiday spending are accessories and clothing (21%), gift cards and others (19%), and food and beverages (14%). – Deloitte
• Segmented email campaigns brought a 760% increase in email revenue. – Campaign Monitor
• 42.3% of shoppers delete non-optimized emails for mobile devices. – SaleCycle
• 43% of US consumers stated that some unwanted gifts they receive during holidays are accessories and clothes. – Finder
• Millennials are more than likely to complete most of their Christmas shopping online. – eMarketer

Now that you know the facts, how does that factor into your marketing plan? Here are 5 tips to help…

Get Festive

You want your business/brand to be relevant, so that means “decorating” your social media accounts! Change out your Facebook cover photo to something Christmasy (if you celebrate that) or have your Twitter background be a field covered with snow. Show the world that you are ready for the holidays.

Give Sneak Peeks

People like to have exclusivity. If you are offering a deal in your brick-and-mortar store, offer it to your social media fans or email list a day early. If you are debuting a new product or service, leave breadcrumbs so they are hungry for it when you debut it.

Offer a Discount or Special Deal

You do not have to do this to be successful, but sometimes this will help you convert those browsers into customers. It can something for Black Friday or Cyber Monday. It could be a month-long discount on a product or service.

Utilize Your Email List

Your email list is almost like gold. These are people who have said they want emails from you – use this wisely! Segment it and send carefully crafted messages. Send email list-only deals. You have a captive audience, so make the most of it!

Give Back

I believe all businesses should donate to charity (whether it’s time or money). During the holiday season, share what you support or support something new. Do boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Donate to Toys for Tots. Adopt a local foster child. Take a group of your employees and do a shift at a local soup kitchen. Show that you are more than a business and that you truly care and want to give back.

It is the holidays after all. Show some holiday cheer and have fun with your fans and those who come into your office/store. Get out there and have some fun!