It’s mid-November…Halloween has been and gone….and…
…my local stores are now in full-on, 100% Christmas mode!
Not just Christmas promotions either…
…this year everyone seems to have jumped the gun on “Black Friday” and started well ahead of the supposed date on the day after Thanksgiving in the USA!
So…if you haven’t already started planning and preparing for your end-of-year and other holiday promotions…
…there’s no time to lose!
Below, I am republishing a special guest post that has proven very popular since it was originally published some years ago on the “Total Package” site (sadly no longer active).
It’s from Troy White…
…with some great marketing tips that can be applied for other seasonal events, not just Christmas.
Before that…as a starter and useful addition to the main piece…here’s an extract from a pretty much “evergreen” post by Ryan Deiss and the folks at DigitalMarketer…
…“Why You Need to Start Working on Your Holiday Marketing Strategy NOW”…
4 Steps to Get Your Holiday Marketing Strategy Off the Ground
1. Figure Out What Holiday(s) Your Audience Cares the Most About
Decide what holiday will work best for your company. Are you a pop-up costume store? Do you sell heritage-breed, artisanally-raised turkeys? Pick the holiday that makes the most sense for you and your customers.
2. Use Urgency to Show Customers This is a Short-Term Deal
When you are building ads, build with timeliness in mind. The holidays won’t last forever, and neither will your sale, and your customers should know that upfront.
3. Compare Your Holiday Ads with What’s Working Already
Look at what ads you already have running and use elements from those in your holiday ads (if it ain’t broke, just slap a wreath on it and run it as a holiday ad, we always say…). Additionally, break out your holiday campaign swipe file and see what’s working for other people.
Don’t have a holiday campaign swipe file? Just keep scrolling. We got some great campaigns to get you started.
4. Use Holiday Specific Content to Drive Website Visitors to Your Landing Page
Remember, a lot of your customers are just as unprepared for the holidays as you are (or were), so now is the time to create stellar holiday content to stir up awareness and get buying on their minds—specifically buying your product/service.
Well worth reading the whole article.
Now back to Troy and his “Holiday Promotions Ideas You Can Take to the Bank”…
*****
Holiday shopping season is now in full swing … are you doing everything possible to make the last couple months of your year the best?
Right now is when you need to be out there in front of your clients – showing them exactly why they should shop with you again.
This is on top of your efforts to attract new clients.
How To Maximize Your Results
This Holiday Season With 8 Easy Steps
1) First thing you need to do is make them an offer they can’t refuse.
And the easiest way to do that is to bundle your products and services in new “Holiday Packages” that are not available at any other time of the year.
Why?
Because…
…they are looking for a deal. A deal they can’t find anywhere else – and it doesn’t mean the cheapest price either … it means the most attractive offer.
Do you have multiple products and services?
Have you created an inventory of your products and services?
Do it – right now … the results will amaze you.
List off every product, service, report, package, or incentive you have for your clients.
Then, fit like-minded products together in a few different ways – have a Silver, Gold, and Platinum package arrangement ranging from inexpensive to medium ticket price to high-end price tag.
For example, maybe you run a massage business.
You could offer a 60-minute massage, a book on at-home-stress-relief, an audio complete with soothing music, massage oil for at home use, and a couple of nice candles to top it off.
Let’s say you price this at $75 – which is the perfect price point for many lower end gifts – package it up nicely with gift certificates on nice paper, a basket, and wrapped up professionally.
Your Gold offer – Monthly massages for six months, free spa products, the book as above – plus one more on creating your own spa at home – the candles and oil also included, plus a nice pair of slippers for lounging. Price tag – $500.
Your Platinum package – 12 months’ worth of massages, all of the above, plus a facial and pedicure every other month (done by someone you subcontract with). This for $750.
This gives you three very nice packages that you can offer your clients … packages that are not available at any other time of the year.
Bundle them up real nice and have them wrapped up like a pro – and you will make a very attractive offer for your clients that are looking for simple gifts they can buy – right up to the husbands who will pay the big ticket price tag knowing that the gift they are giving their wives will be very much appreciated for the next 12 months.
2) Use some interesting numbers in your bundle and promotions.
For example, right now is the end of 2023… why not have a year-end bundle sale that saves them 20.23% off the purchase price?
You can have all the promotional material with the 20.23% OFF theme … it is different and stands out from everyone else (key right now) … and it encourages them to buy the bundle, rather than the smaller packages.
3) Use some unusual cartoons and artwork for your holiday promotions.
One year, I used a Santa cartoon for my Wild West Christmas Bash and it was very well received. People LOVE a funny cartoon and you can get them done custom for you for inexpensively at sites like www.dimpleart.com.
4) Make sure people know you have holiday bundles and specials available on your website.
Take your hints from Google and Oriental Trading. They switch up the holiday banners on the main pages regularly.
Have a fun graphic done with you in a Santa suit … or an elf outfit … or riding in a sled dropping presents … or, or, or. The DimpleArt.com team can do pretty well any type of cartoon you want.
Once you have them ready … use them everywhere. On the top banner of your website. In your e-mails. On your invoices and with stuffers that go with your invoices. On your business cards.
Even have some voice-over work done for a Christmas greeting on your answering machine.
Now is the time to have some FUN!
One client I coach is chomping at the bit to roll out his holiday viral video contest idea I gave him. One that involves kids, clients, messes made by the kids … and some great laughs that is guaranteed to drive a ton of traffic to his site this season.
Video is perfect for this … all you need to do is find a video professional that can help you put it together in a short period of time.
5) Product launched out? Well, chances are your clients aren’t.
While most of us in the marketing world feel abused by all the launches out there … most people have no clue such a thing even exists. Find ways to tie in a weekly holiday gift launch. Or a daily special.
Make sure they know that each product launch or bundle opportunity is only available for a limited number of days. Anytime you can have a proper deadline (a real deadline and scarcity draw … unlike many others out there), you will immediately increase your response.
6) Offer existing customers a Platinum membership and upgrade … for free.
Give them a gift for being a devoted customer and give them gifts, extra discounts, membership cards and benefits.
Everyone loves an unexpected gift … and they are much more likely to buy when they experience this.
7) Get promoting … NOW!
Time is running out. How do you get the word out?
Postcards – Simple … easy … a great way to drive traffic to your holiday bundle sales page.
Direct mail – Send them a simple letter to tell them what kind of special deals you have put together for them this year.
Phone calls – Call all the customers and prospects that you have numbers for.
Personalized faxes – to people who have bought from you before.
A warning though … if you are going through all this effort and work to improve your holiday sales – you had better make sure your message is done right.
The Web page sales pitch you use must convince them to buy.
The sales copy you use must compel them to take action.
The image you are portraying to your clients and prospects must show them you know what you are doing – and will treat them with the utmost of respect.
Here’s some wording you can use in your promotions at this time of year:
Your Regular Holiday Feast of Wealth-Creating Words
Gathering Ho Ho Ho Elves
Harvest Snowman Celebrate
Christmas Nutcracker Homecoming
Decorations Sleigh Bethlehem
Festival Candy Canes North Pole
Holiday Blessings Resolutions
Cheers Peace Family
Happy Hope Feast
Greetings Joy Jingle Bells
Gifts Stockings Reindeer
Ribbon Nativity Hug
Surprises Sweetest Kiss
Ornaments Reindeer Love
Mistletoe Old-Fashioned Rudolph
Wreath Yule Feliz Navidad
Jolly Worship Dance
8) Don’t be timid about the language you use. We are becoming way too politically correct with our wording around the holidays.
I heard the other day they are now thinking of changing Halloween to “Orange and Black Day.” (Maybe this is a stupid Canadian thing … or maybe it has spread to other countries.)
People are scared to say Merry Christmas now … because this “politeness” (I have another word for it) has gone too far.
Don’t be scared about enjoying your holidays and making sure EVERYONE knows you do.
You will attract the right kinds of buyers … and get rid of those who are too easily offended by traditions that have spanned generations … even centuries and millenniums.
Trying to appeal to everyone is the worst thing you can do.
Be yourself this holiday season in your promotions … have some fun … be unusual … and give them some good reasons to buy from you.
Find a few ways to make these lessons work for your business …
To your success
Troy White
*****
Some great suggestions there to help you with your seasonal promotions. Wishing you every success!