Holiday Marketing Basics: Heartfelt Sentiments

Holidays are often a time when small retail businesses go from “red to black” – and a lot of that has to do with how they do their marketing. How should you market for the holidays? Stick around each week till New Year’s and we’ll tell you!

There’s a battle over saying “Merry Christmas” vs “Happy Holidays. I could honestly care less. I celebrate Christmas, because I’m a Christian. I’m not going to be offended if someone wishes me Happy Solstice. They shouldn’t be offended if I wish them a Merry Christmas! Wishing people nice things is good. We should say THANKS. 🙂

Let me encourage you to tell your employees to be gracious, and to wish people a heartfelt greeting for whatever their own individual holiday is. Tell them to be polite if people are offended.

Using your social media, email newsletter, blog, newspaper and radio ads – make it a point to offer some sweet heartfelt greetings about the holidays. Touch people’s hearts. Stir their emotions. These are things many people are already feeling around the holidays – love, nostalgia, joy, etc. Tap into the emotions they are feeling – or if they are feeling stress, fear, anxiety, etc… tap into those emotions and OFFER hope, love, joy, peace – and you’ll win their hearts.

Your competition in business is seldom the enemy. Your enemy is the attitudes and mindsets in your potential customers that keep them away from you. The battlefield is in the minds of your potential customers, and the enemy is not a competing business. You want to win? Win the hearts and minds of people. Stir their emotions, touch their hearts, change their minds.  Then they’ll give you money. They’ll THROW money at you.

Holiday Marketing Basics: Communicating Special Hours

Holidays are often a time when small retail businesses go from “red to black” – and a lot of that has to do with how they do their marketing. How should you market for the holidays? Stick around each week till New Year’s and we’ll tell you!

The Holidays mean different hours. You’ve got to let people know if you are going to be open later, closed for a christmas party, etc.

By the way – I have been surprised to see many retail businesses CLOSED during the evenings leading up to Christmas. From Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve – you need to be open at every opportunity…. You won’t make any money if you are closed.

How do you tell everyone about your special hours?
1. Email
2. Signs on the door
3. A flyer handed to customers as they leave the store
4. Your website.
5. Your social media.

Keep reminding people that you are going to be open late – in every avenue of communication that you have! The same about being closed!

Holiday Marketing Basics: Following Up

Holidays are often a time when small retail businesses go from “red to black” – and a lot of that has to do with how they do their marketing. How should you market for the holidays? Stick around each week till New Year’s and we’ll tell you!

If someone gives you their email address – send them a personal note asking them how their experience was!

Follow up after gathering your email addresses, and you’ll reap the benefits.

Have you had a conversation with someone that was interested in your service or product that you haven’t heard from in a while? Follow up! Even during the holidays – even if they say no – it’s a chance to wish someone a happy holiday and to build a relationship. They’ll call you when they need you – but it helps if they remember you, and feel like you care about them. (PS – it helps if you ACTUALLY care…)