Tips for SMEs to Market Effectively During Festive Season

Marketing your business is not only an art but also a well planned model. You not only have to make sure you reach out to your target audience but also have to be bang on to make sure that you have the right offers and deals which excite and attract the customers.

The holiday season is upon us. And it provides many unique opportunities for all different types of businesses to market to customers in new and unique ways. Whether you own an online business, a local store, or even a B2B company, there are ways you can promote your business throughout the coming months.
Follow these tips to maximize your outreach — and your profits — this holiday season-

• Repetition sells, so market often. Send multiple emails, direct mailers or holiday cards announcing your sales. Remember the old advertising rule that says repetition is the key to success.
• Create limited-time offers to encourage customers to buy now.
• What do you have that the big box stores don’t have? Highlight what makes your company unique in your marketing materials. If you can’t compete on pricing, emphasize quality, experience and white-glove service.
• Concentrate on marketing your niche products to a highly targeted audience.
• Introduce add-on incentives, such as a vacation drawing entry with every purchase or spend over a certain amount.
• Host a holiday season kick-off event to bring customers in — such as a tree-lighting ceremony with hot chocolate and a visit from Santa — and make sure customers leave with your holiday catalog.
• Use email, social media and your website to let customers know about your upcoming deals. Send holiday emails that readers can’t wait to open.
• Feature your upcoming holiday specials on your blog, and reinforce the reasons why it’s better to buy from you than from your competitors.
• Create quick landing pages to advertise your deals and easily collect visitors’ contact information.
• Make shopping easy for your customers by sending a unique catalog with suggestions for everyone on their list.
• Encourage multiple sales by offering customer loyalty cards or referral cards for discounts, or perhaps a set percentage off for every customer who refers a friend.
• Feature a different product, service or discount every day for a holiday-themed eight or 12 days. Use social media and landing pages to create excitement about what each day’s special will be.
• Use social media to post about exclusive events, two-for-one deals, buy-one-get-one promotions and more. For an added boost, a tiny amount of advertising spend will get your social posts seen by a larger audience.
• Use posters and flyers to reinforce your marketing campaign, especially in targeted shopping areas.
• Try direct-mail postcards with coupon codes to get customers to your website or store.