10 fun holiday marketing ideas: Part 2
By Candace Huntly
You can try to ignore it, but the holiday season is tip toeing up behind you. Pumpkin spice is everywhere, Halloween decorating is getting into full swing, and before you know it, Christmas and all the other holidays will be staring you in the face.
So, what’s your holiday marketing strategy?
Last week I shared 5 fun holiday marketing ideas to get your creative juices flowing to help get you into planning mode. This week I have 5 more!
#6: RUN A HOLIDAY REFERRAL CONTEST TO INCREASE REACH
Having a referral program in place is a good idea at any time of the year. But why not run a referral contest through the holidays? Run the contest for a specific period during the holidays and you could even offer a fun, holiday themed prize to the person who refers the most customers to your business. If you’re concerned that you don’t have the technology in place to offer things like referral links or codes, don’t worry, because you can still run a contest like this by asking people to provide a name, phone number, or email as a way to track referrals.
#7: SEND OUT SAMPLES OF YOUR HOLIDAY PRODUCTS WITH PURCHASES IN THE PRE-HOLIDAY SEASON
One of the best ways for people to learn about new or seasonal products is to try them so they fall in love with them. If you can, consider sending out samples in the pre-holiday season to encourage people to come back and buy once your new holiday product launches. Local chocolatier QuestXO got me this way by sending a sample of a few of her holiday-themed chocolate barks – which I did, in fact, go back to purchase! On a side note, when her shop reopens after summer holidays, the Crack Bark will always be a favourite… 😬
#8: PARTNER WITH OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES
While your customers have become more aware of shopping local and shopping small, you can amplify your marketing strategy by partnering with other local brands. Either work with businesses that offer complementary products/services to yours or simply work with businesses that are in your community to create a hyper local connection with your audience. This type of strategy makes it easier for people to shop local and it can double the promotion for your brand.
If you’re wondering how to partner with other businesses, consider things like cross-promotion campaigns on social media or in-store or even offering a full-package, one-stop-shop option for complementary products.
#9: MAKE THE HOLIDAYS ABOUT GIVING AND GIVE BACK
The holidays should be about giving, and your business should stand behind a certain set of values and ethics. In fact, most of your team and customers likely support causes of their own and it is a great way to both connect on a deeper level with your customers and just… do the right thing. If you haven’t already, consider aligning your brand with a cause for the holidays. There are a few different ways you can give back including things like donating a percentage of every purchase to a specific charity (or set of charities) and donating your time to volunteer (if money is tight).
#10: RUN A HOLIDAY INFLUENCER MARKETING CAMPAIGN
This wouldn’t be a holiday promotion idea blog without mentioning influencer marketing… The reality is, if you do the leg work and find influencers that align with your brand and values, they can be a huge asset to your business. The key is to remember that you are building relationships and they should be based on mutual trust and respect. It’s not about asking them for the moon without giving anything in return.
So those holiday PR packages that we talked about last week? Perfect them, because the right influencer will love them and know EXACTLY what to do with it. And get those discount codes set up because not only will it be helpful for you to measure sales associated with the campaign, it will also encourage holiday shopping and influencers love when they can pass savings on to their followers!
Whatever holiday marketing strategies you do, make sure you make it easy for your customers to participate and get through to the end purchase. It’s important that you don’t put too many barriers in place otherwise you won’t get the results you want in the end.
If you aren’t sure where to start with your holiday marketing campaign or you think you need a little extra help, book a free 20-minute consultation with us and we’ll get you on track.