The holidays are a great time of year to make additional sales. For small businesses, knowing how to market your business well to consumers during this time can be the difference between a successful year or a nightmare.
It’s no secret that marketing becomes more competitive during the holiday months with big brands and small businesses all competing for the same consumers. So what can you do to make sure your small business is noticed during this time of year?
Check out the holiday marketing tips and tricks for small businesses below!
Holiday Discounts
Offering discounts isn’t a new or fancy approach to marketing during the holiday season, but it can help you compete well. Look at discounts as an opportunity to bundle different products together for a discounted price or offer sales that allow people to receive a free product with other purchases.
“Holiday discounts should be geared toward encouraging people to do more shopping at your small business than they may have set out to do,” says Phillip Akhzar, CEO of Arka. “Maybe they’re coming to your store or website for one gift, but with a bundle they can knock three people off of their list or provide an even better gift for the person they were originally shopping for.”
Festive Social Media Posts
Social media is always an important factor for small businesses, but it’s even more important during the holidays. As a small business, you’re competing with a lot of other bigger brands for the spotlight. Fortunately, social media posts are a relatively inexpensive way to let people know about your holiday products, sales, or events.
“Social media posts can be catered to the holiday season to grab the attention of your consumers,” says Brittany Harrer-Dolin, Co-Founder of Pocketbook Agency. “With how many ads and promotions there are flying around during the holiday season, even your most loyal customers might need a reminder during this time of year.
Market your products as gifts by showing them wrapped together or get creative with holiday themed giveaways that will draw people to your social profiles.”
Participate in Sales
Black Friday is no longer the only option you have to mark down prices and draw in people who are searching for the perfect gifts. The following days have also become great opportunities for small businesses to take advantage of.
Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday are great opportunities to sell products or services to people looking for those holiday deals.
“As a small business, Small Business Saturday is a great time to offer discounts or sales to consumers,” says Omid Semino, CEO and Founder of Diamond Mansion. “Unlike Black Friday and Cyber Monday where you’re competing with those big brands, Small Business Saturday is all about the small business world. Millennials and Gen Z love supporting small businesses so take advantage of that fact and push your marketing toward Small Business Saturday rather than the other sales days where you’ll have more competition.”
Support Local Charities
It’s no secret that charities are often looking for some extra help during the holiday season. Many take advantage of the giving spirit of the holidays to push their charity campaigns and events to the public. Becoming a sponsor or supporting these charities in other ways can help your small business show your values and help out your community too.
“Don’t be a scrooge,” says Ari Evans, CEO of Maestro “The holidays are the time of year that so many more people feel inclined to give to others around the world. Support a local charity or donate a percentage of sales during the holiday time period to a local charity. Not only does this give your small business great PR, but it’s a fantastic way to support the community you live in.”
Partner with Other Small Businesses
Even though this is one of the most competitive times of the year for small businesses, it can be helpful to team up and work together sometimes. Find other small businesses that you can partner with to host events, giveaways, sales, and more to reach a larger audience and create a mutually beneficial relationship.
“Creating a bundle with other small businesses can be a great way to sell a product and reach people you may not have,” says Lina Miranda, VP of Marketing at AdQuick. “Creating a bundle of products that are targeted toward a similar demographic can help all small businesses involved in the partnership reach new people. For example, a coffee shop may partner with a local ceramic artist and a bakery to provide a lovely gift bundle to purchase at any of the three locations.”
Decorate for the Holidays
As a small business, you’ll want to do all that you can to make the shopping experience as magical as possible during the holiday season. Decorating is a great way to spread some holiday cheer and inspire the purchase of gifts for loved ones. Use your holiday decor as a way to market your products and spread joy during this time of year.
“Decorations aren’t limited to your brick and mortar location,” says Michael Van, CEO of Furnishr. “Make sure your social media pages and website are decked out with holiday decor too. Take new photos for your products or add festive graphics to each page of your website to inspire holiday shopping.
Conclusion
The holidays are a great time to make sales as a small business. However, it will take a bit of effort on your end to compete well against the big brands and industries that are also striving to be the gift of choice for your consumers.
Providing holiday discounts or bundles throughout the holiday season and on special days like Small Business Saturday can help your small business stand out from the crowd and inspire holiday purchases.
It’s also a great opportunity to partner with other small businesses or charities to reach a larger number of people and show the organizations that you want to be associated with. A growing number of Millennial and Gen Z consumers love to support small businesses, so taking advantage of that can also help your small business stand out during the holidays.
Finally, carry that holiday shopping experience from your physical location to the online platforms! Make sure your online platforms reflect the holiday season by sharing targeted holiday posts on social media and sprucing up your website with holiday graphics or photos.
