It’s that time of year again: the season for giving and cheer! If you’re a local business owner, this is also the time to give your best marketing efforts to maximize sales. This post will provide 8 tips that will help ensure your holiday marketing plan is successful. We’ll discuss everything needed to make this holiday season profitable for your small business, from choosing appropriate social media posts to providing incentives like discounts.
1: Leverage Social Media and Digital Advertising
According to a recent survey, about 8 in 10 consumers use at least one Facebook app or service to purchase presents. Social commerce is expected to account for 11% (or $474 billion) of worldwide retail eCommerce revenue in 2020.
Social media to be a key driver of online sales again and encourages marketers to use content and selling functionality on these platforms to increase Christmas sales.
Paid social allows you to advertise on popular social networks or promote your social media content to reach a wider audience.
2: Optimize SEO
As always, SEO will play a huge factor in holiday marketing strategies. Last year, Search accounted for 45 percent of visits and revenue during the holidays, with paid Search being slightly more effective than organic Search.
Marketers should look back to see which terms resulted in the highest conversions at the best cost per acquisition (CPA) rates while factoring in terms that are trending this year through keyword research.
In addition to this, it’s critical for local businesses to ensure their listings information is up to date on Google and other platforms. This may form part of an SEO audit and cover:
- The store’s name, address, and phone number and ensuring these details are identical to what’s listed on the SMB’s website and other listings
- Accurate business hours, including public holiday open and closing times
- Ensuring the SMB has a continuous flow of online reviews, and if not, the agency should see this as an opportunity
- Lots of visual content, including recent photos and a virtual tour of the store if possible.
#3 Display your local inventory on Google My Business profile
We recently reported that Google My Business rebranded to Google Business Profile and added new features to help local businesses drive store traffic.
One of these is the “in stock” filter on Search so shoppers can see only nearby stores that have the item they are looking for – this will significantly assist more than 50 percent of shoppers who will attempt to confirm online that an item from a local business is in stock before going to buy it.
To make sure products show up, retailers in the United States and Canada can sign up for Pointy from Google — free of charge and right from a business’s GBP on Search.
#4 Consider New Marketing Mediums
The lead-up to Christmas is a great time for local businesses to consider new tools such as SMS message and web push notification marketing if they don’t already have this functionality.
Last year saw a 378 percent increase in SMS messaging over 2019, with an average conversion rate of 2.65 percent, according to the Omnisend 2020 Ecommerce Marketing Statistics Report.
Meanwhile, there was a 1098 percent increase in web push messages in 2020 from the prior year. These had a 52.8% view rate, 2.8% click rate, and “an impressive 28.1% conversion rate.
These SMS notifications can provide a convenient way to keep customers up-to-date on order and shipping status.
#5 Create Teaser Email Marketing Campaigns
Email campaign marketing remains one of the most powerful tools to communicate to the masses. Local businesses should generate hype among customers by sending emails in advance of Black Friday and Cyber Monday about the imminence of great deals.
You begin by sending out emails in advance of Black Friday and Cyber Monday telling customers to anticipate great deals. You might segment special offers to different lists. So as the big day draws near, your customers are looking forward to what they can get.
If you’ve planted the seed and then watered it in the weeks leading up to the big day, your customers will already be thinking about you and planning to look at your deals and specials.
#6 Create A Surprise Bonus
Businesses may extend the duration of their sale the day it begins, rather than restricting it to one day. Some businesses continue offering Black Friday discounts through the weekend. Some start them before the real date. The same adaptability is applied to Cyber Monday, which is why it’s often known as Cyber Week.
Small Businesses could include benefits that weren’t previously mentioned when the sale period commences, such as:
- Free shipping
- Free gift wrapping
- A bonus gift like an accessory or holiday ornament
- A gift card that can be redeemed in the new year
- A special buy one, get one free offer
#7 Upsell Customers With ‘Stocking Stuffers’
“Stocking stuffers” or small Christmas gifts could be the perfect solution for shoppers who have many people to shop for and an easy way for small businesses to upsell products and boost sales via eCommerce.
People don’t mind adding a few dollars’ worths of goods they can use as stocking stuffers or fun presents, just like with checkout displays at retail stores. During the holiday season, suggest several of these items as simple upsells on your checkout page.
#8 Create Email Campaigns For After The Sale
The holiday shopping season doesn’t end after Cyber Monday is over. Many people shop throughout December and in the lead-up to Christmas.
And the fact of the matter is that if a small business wins a new customer during the holidays, they have the opportunity to go much further than one sale via re-targeting and also new email campaigns that:
- Thank them for their purchase
- Give shipping updates
- Include instructions on how to use or care for a product
- Ask for reviews
- Send new offers
This demonstrates that you care about their experience, not simply their money, and it will lead to fewer returned items and more client loyalty.
When consumers have items in their cart but haven’t checked out, send abandoned cart emails to keep them engaged.
Conclusion
We know it’s a busy time of year and you may be scrambling to get your marketing plan in order. That’s why we’re here for you! Our team at GREENstick Marketing Services is ready to step up during this hectic season and help with all the details, from choosing appropriate social media posts that resonate with your customer base to providing incentives like discounts or free shipping. You can trust us – our holiday marketing services will ensure profitability for your small business so you’ll have more money leftover than ever before this Christmas! Want some extra peace of mind? Get in touch today and let us take care of everything. If not now, when? Let us help make this holiday season profitable for your small business by outsourcing
And on that note, Happy Holidays!