Why it’s not too late to promote Christmas!

You still have time to promote Christmas - it’s definitely not too late! Particularly if you use your social media accounts to promote your business.

It's not too late to promote Christmas if you use your social media accounts Click To Tweet

For most people, it’s a fun time of year with Christmas shopping, celebrations and decorations galore. For others, Christmas is a chore. This isn’t the best outlook if you’re a small business trying to promote your products in the busiest retail period of the year! Christmas may not be for everyone. You do need to overcome your ‘bah humbug!’ attitude. Christmas is a necessity if you want to make money, gain a loyal customer base, and encourage people to return to spend their money in the January sales.

Use #Christmas to gain a loyal customer base, and encourage people to return in January. Click To Tweet

Decorate for Christmas

You might not want to decorate your premises for Christmas, but it will make your customers more receptive to buying. Christmas decorations can help put customers into a buying mindset. It’s not only your physical premises though as you can create a Christmas theme for your website and social media headers too. We’ve used our Facebook Page cover image to post a new Advent video each day. You don’t have to change it every day, you can just add a few Christmas images to your usual header, and you know where you can get those from us right here!

Add some festive #Christmas images to your social media covers Click To Tweet

Fun and festive posters are a great way to attract buyers to your promotions. Use them to draw people in by placing in a window, or highlight particularly great offers in-store with some large and eye-catching posters.

 

Make it easy to buy from you

As we suggested in our ‘How to Plan for Christmas‘ blog, make it easy for your customers to choose you to solve their gift buying problems!  Many people leave gift shopping until the last minute and so are in a rush. Try grouping products together with a sign suggesting who they would be just perfect for and why. Tell your customer that your ‘wots-a-ma-flip’ is an ideal present for granny, and why.  Let them know that you have gifts for ‘the man who has everything’, offer teenager-centric bundles. Make it really easy for them to choose.

 

You don’t have to have Christmas music

For anyone who has ever worked in retail, Christmas songs become a trigger for a nervous twitch. The same CD played over, and over, and over again can create delirium for both shoppers and staff! Instead of the same old Christmas music playing in the background, why not have some upbeat big band music or soothing Frank Sinatra?

 

Create a safe haven!

If you have retail premises why not create a safe haven?  Somewhere the man who hates shopping or an elderly grandparent can sit in comfort and browse your catalogue. If you want to go the extra mile, serve refreshments or even just a few Christmas sweets in your Man or Nan Creche!  Offering something different is always a good way to promote Christmas.

Try setting up a Man or Nan Creche in your shop to create a #Christmas safe haven. Click To Tweet

 

Limited time offer

A limited-time-only offer works on the scarcity principle: the less likely it is to occur, the more people want it. Prepare for a short-term rush and you’ll be able to get Christmas shoppers without starting in October.  Promote this by running a short time advertising campaign or boosting a post on your Facebook Page.

If you grit your teeth through the December rush and employ some savvy marketing techniques, you’ll see a boost in January revenue, too! Rather than focussing on the dreaded festive season, gear up for the January sales instead. Prepare your customers for the biggest sale of the year by encouraging them to buy their Christmas gifts with you. In return you can give them a money off voucher they’ll get to spend in January. This ensures you not only boost your sales in the busiest retail period of the year, but you also set yourself up for repeat custom.

Promote offers by running a short time advertising campaign or boosting a post on your Facebook Page. Click To Tweet

 

Think outside the box

Why not think about potential giveaways to encourage custom in the New Year? A perfect example would be a branded notebook or wall calendar, which your customers will use for the entire year. They’ll see your branding for months to come! You could offer a small goodie bag for people who spend above a certain amount. Make sure you include branded merchandise and a referral discount voucher to give to their friends to use by the end of January!

 

So there you have it: Christmas doesn’t have to be all that tricky to navigate. If you run short-term promotions and think about the lifetime value of a new customer, promoting Christmas may not be bad after all.

 

Takeaway Tip

Today’s takeaway tip is:

By using social media, you still have time to promote Christmas!

Takeaway tip: By using social media, you still have time to promote Christmas! Click To Tweet

 

If you like the images in our blogs, these elements are all available for you to buy and download from our Collection, together with instructions on how to make your own images in our How-To section.