Whether in the service or retail industries, the holiday season offers an opportunity to increase your sales and visibility. Some options can have many visible, immediate, and long-reaching benefits for your business. The pandemic hampered previous holiday seasons, but sales are picking up. The National Retail Federation (NFR) projects that retail sales for November and December will grow by 6 to 8% this year, up from the 2021 holiday season, which had sales up to $960.4 billion.
According to Forbes, the pandemic had the knock-on effect of increasing internet sales in ways many businesses can adopt at multiple levels. Being online has helped niche service industries all the way to your local retailers, like Amazon and eBay, and even grocers like Publix. Senior management at Publix explained that having their Publix weekly ad offers on online platforms has pulled in more customers than anticipated. The convenience of shopping online from anywhere and getting home deliveries is a great motivator for those who use the service. For a growing business, the anticipated increase in sales creates an opportunity to reel in old and new customers by adopting different methods into a winning marketing strategy. It would also be wise to leverage various digital media forms.
Here are a few ideas that you can apply to your business;
Start Early End Late
There is some wisdom in launching holiday sales early, which has been the current trend in the last few years. This approach has some wisdom, as it encourages top-of-mind recall, which will be connected to your brand. Partnered with a good marketing strategy, this enables more sales for the current and future seasons. If you have an email mailing list, you can communicate with potential clients much earlier, and in case you don’t, we have a quick crash course here.
Preparation Is Key
The first and most crucial step is to ensure that there is a strategy in place and that the direction has been communicated to the team to encourage team effort. You should rope in some of your junior staffers to learn about trending marketing options and channels. Holiday sales increase traffic, especially for retailers, and as such, it’s essential to ensure that all potential problem areas are identified and resolved. Budgets are also necessary and influence ads and all promotional campaigns.
Take Advantage Of Marketing Campaigns Using Digital Media
Digital marketing might scare a lot of businesses off as something that needs high technical skills or is for a younger audience. Still, options are available for different skill levels, from beginner to professional. Search Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Marketing all offer great opportunities which might be wise to follow, but for those less tech-savvy, there are a few more options to consider. Take advantage of Google services for e-commerce like Google Analytics, Google Ads, and Google My Business.
Social media steps up and offers solutions that go beyond the older media options, as it is more accessible and relatively cheaper. This is an excellent option for smaller businesses, and here is how you can take advantage of some platforms like Messenger to enhance your sales.
Use Time Limited Sales
We have all had that one item we wanted for Christmas or our birthday that we ended up putting off buying until later. For cases like these, well-timed sales during the holidays can allow customers to consider making the purchase. Black Friday is a perfect example of how limited-time sales can increase purchases while moving slower-moving inventory.
Seasonal Landing Pages
Holiday themes quickly catch the eye of anyone walking in a mall, and the same applies even when you’re online. They encourage anyone who visits your website to take a closer look. Themed landing pages can serve as a smart reminder and an indication that your website is well-maintained and up-to-date. This alone encourages the idea that they will get efficient service.
Gift & Loyalty Cards With Discounts
Loyal customers can be an excellent method for using word of mouth and referrals, which are a big part of any business nowadays. With the constant competition in many industries, it is vital to stay in tune with your customers, remove pain points, and reward their repeat business. Loyalty cards, gift packages and special discounts are a great way to show that you appreciate them. Doing this also draws in potential customers through positive reviews from friends, family, or social media. Also, remember to add a few freebies; after all, it is the holidays!
Encourage Pre-Ordering
For items that seem to run out deeper into the holiday, it’s essential to consider a smart way to manage inventory while also decongesting shops. Pre-orders offer a great solution, as they ensure that the purchase is secure and help manage inventory so that you can order more in time to satisfy your customers’ needs.
You can also go further by offering free or discounted delivery costs or pick-up points closer to the customer to increase convenience. Some retailers are exploring drone deliveries, and for smaller items, this might be an attractive option to service a broader customer base in urban and remote areas.
