We know Halloween is not quite out of the way yet, but in marketing terms, Christmas is nearly upon us. Most consumers will have the spooky-season and fireworks on their mind now, but as soon as that last bang goes off, attention swiftly changes to the festive season. We thought we would help get your Christmas marketing glowing like Rudolph’s nose, by offering up some hints and tips for your Christmas marketing, and what should be one of the busiest times of the year.

BLACK FRIDAY & CYBER MONDAY DEALS

Black Friday is one of the first festive events that takes place in the calendar. According to Radio Times, we spent a staggering £1.23 billion over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend in the UK last year. Although people expect big deals, it doesn’t always mean that you have to offer ludicrous discounts to secure business.

Some ideas for promotions could be;

• Discounts on a certain experience / ticket that could be used at a later date, meaning you can boost revenues in the quieter periods.
• Value added additions, such as complimentary upgrades, additional extras and added bonuses. 
• Offer a voucher or discount that’s valid for the rest of the year, so they return outside of the Christmas period.
• Add in a ‘stocking filler’ product for free, or something that they can enjoy after buying the present.
• Offer free postage and free returns if your business is online, as this will sweeten any deal.

Of course, you can offer the massive discounts that all other retailers do, but what will make you stand out is adding value to each purchase. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great opportunities for you to increase your sales. You can also use these occasions to grow an email list in the lead up to the Christmas rush.

GET INTO THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

It’s important to get into the Christmas spirit, no one wants to buy from a Bah Humbug! Make sure you decorate for the occasion. It also gives you a great reason to share on social media. Getting creative is also a great way to get people talking for minimal expense.

WORK WITH A CHARITY

Christmas can be a season filled with joy, happiness and love, but it is also a tough time for some people. By partnering up with a charity, it can help those in need, and in-turn, helps with marketing too. There are a variety of ways in which you can do this, here are some examples;

• A certain percentage of a sale goes to a specific charity.
• Give your customers an opportunity to donate through the checkout process, be it online or at a physical point of sale.
• A specific product that will benefit the charity.

Partnering up with a charity is a fantastic way to spread Christmas cheer, and it’s fantastic for your brand awareness. Most importantly, you’ll be doing something good for the world!

CREATE A GIFT GUIDE

Creating a gift guide displaying some ideal gifts can be a great way of showing off new products. It is especially important to do this if you are running an online only e-commerce shop, as people like some help, especially when looking for Christmas gifts. It is also a great way to keep customers up to date with upcoming events, new products launching and more.

Image courtesy of Pexels.com 

GIFT VOUCHERS

Over the Christmas period, we spend £6 billion on gift cards and vouchers according to the BBC. It’s a great way to help increase spend in quieter periods, as people are looking for things to do and buy. Ensure you market gift vouchers as much as possible, as people can be difficult to buy for! There are only so many socks you can receive…

REWARDS THAT BENEFIT YOUR BUISNESS 

Reward shoppers by offering them a discount or reward in the quieter periods, enticing them back to you when you need them most. This can be in the form of a voucher you can use in January, an additional extra if buying a Christmas presents as an example. However you do it, it’s important to take advantage of the busiest time of year to market the quieter period.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Later openings, shopping events, meet Santa, the list goes on, but it can all entice people to visit. Capture the interest of people with a browsing evening with a glass of bubbles, or perhaps a Christmas themed raffle. There are lots of ways to help increase footfall over the festive season.

OUR FINAL THOUGHTS

So, there are some ideas you can use to help make your Christmas cracking this festive season. Make sure you don’t miss the sleigh, as Christmas needs plenty of planning and can help protect against the quieter periods of the year.

Need some help?

Sometimes, if time is against you, your business may need a helping hand, especially during the busiest time of year. Let INOV8 Marketing take some of the strain, as we can help organise your Christmas marketing, from ideas generation through to graphic design and more. Get in touch if we can help be your elf!