Ho, ho, how are you fixed for Christmas???

Yes!  It has reached that time of year again.  No, not Halloween but Christmas!

In a couple of weeks’ time, after all of the bonfires, trick-or-treating and fireworks, all of the shops will be littered with their annual Christmas stock and some may already be.  Kiddie toys, gifts for him and her and Christmas jumpers.  Gift vouchers in your face at the till screaming out “Buy me, buy me!”  The avalanche will begin). Check out statistics on consumer spending last Christmas here.

Are you ready for it online?  What will your customers want this year?  Is there a new product that you could really promote on your website or on your social media?  If you need help with this, social media strategy & social media management are areas we specialise in.

If you’re a small to medium-sized business operating a brick-and-mortar store, there are many ways that you can prepare now to engage with your customers in the lead-up to Christmas.  Use the tools available to you.  Think outside the box.  Get more people in the door.  Sell more.  Make new customers.  Make friends with your customers.  Make them come back in January for your sale.  For some ideas, of a video campaign from last Christmas.

Digital Christmas. Are you ready?

Think about how you deal with Christmas every year.  What works for you?  What doesn’t work?  What may work this year? Now how can you bring those same ideas online to your website/web store and your social media?

Here are some tips I’m suggesting, some may be more applicable to your business than others:

  • SEO your website for Christmas products and services.  Use maybe one or two seasonal products or new products to promote this year and focus your home page on this.  Need help with this? Get in touch with Matrix Internet.
  • Create a Christmas offer that you can offer in your webstore. E.g. “Only available online!” or “Exclusive ONLINE offer!”
  • Theme your website and social media profiles to that of Christmas.  This is a no-brainer but it is surprising the number of businesses who don’t embrace the season theme and spirit.  This can affect your customers and their perception of you and your business.  Obviously, this is more applicable to retail environments but think outside the box.  Maybe dress the manager up as an elf and stick the photo up on your Facebook page!
  • Email:  Prepare your email marketing for Christmas.  Again, like the above tip, theme your email to suit the seasonal festivity, snowmen, Santa, elves, snow etc.  Promote your Christmas offers, and online offers, and create a need to visit your physical store if you have one.  This sounds a bit cliché but it works.  Be creative.
  • If you have a new website and are trying to promote it and/or if you are new to social media, then say it to your customers and ask them to follow you on FB/Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest etc.  Mention it on your receipts, and put signs up in your store, e.g. “Follow us on FB for our latest offers and exciting news!”
  • Scout’s motto is “be prepared!” (I know it’s only October!).  The competition may be high for some of you, particularly in retail.  There are loads of shops operating solely online and therefore don’t have huge overheads like rent, water rates and multiple staff expenses.  Use digital to promote your click-and-mortar. Get people in your door if that’s your aim or get people to buy online if that’s your aim.
  • Finally, stick on your Santa hat and enjoy the Christmas vibe!

Until next time, ho, ho, ho I bid thee farewell.

Spread the love
Share