It’s almost that time of the year again when (almost) everybody turns festive and cracks out their wallets and cards to carry out some festive purchasing but, I don’t think I’m alone in saying that the holiday period this year feels a bit off given how strange 2020/2021 has been thus far. The festive period starts off the preparations for the New Year but, before we get ahead of ourselves, there’s still a bit of time to talk about Christmas marketing in 2021.
We’re all in the same boat and nobody can deny that the end of the year has crept up to us at a high speed. It always happens and it’s understandable. Everybody’s preoccupied with other things for the first 11 months of the year and then comes December with all its festivities and cheer. Don’t fret though, because this could be the perfect time to start on your Christmas marketing.
Ready to get started with our Christmas marketing tips?
Start Early
The last 3 months of the year are reported to be of high-stress levels for small business owners with all the last minute work and the final push toward Christmas. You’ve also got to switch up your marketing to match the tone of the period and make sure that you stand out of the crowd, however, there’s tighter deadlines than the rest of the year and it can sometimes pose a problem. According to a study from RCS UK, 38% of buyers start doing their holiday shop in October and, whilst we may be a little bit past this, there’s still the opportunity to capitalise and boost your sales.
So before you start your festive marketing, there are some things to take an in-depth look at to be sure you’re doing the very best you can:
- Analyze historical performance, target audience and the industry trends
- Brainstorm ideas, run tests and look at your clientele to discover what makes the most impact
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, keep up with changes and make sure you can quickly make adjustments if necessary
- Get prepared!
Push Notifications
The Christmas period is a great time to integrate push notifications to your website and provide yourself a direct line of communication to subscribers. It’s important to let them know you’re around and that they should be thinking of you at this time of the year as much as you’re thinking of them. Go ahead and use these to promote flash sales, Christmas last calls, important shipping dates for them to remember and discounts. Remember not to overload your customers though as you do want them to keep coming back. After all, Christmas is all about togetherness!
Digital Catalogues
We mentioned above how strange 2020/2021 has been and one of the biggest differences to everyday life were the amount of restrictions put in place that made it difficult, if not impossible, to go out and socialise. Now, restrictions have eased heavily in most if not all places but there’s still an air of anxiety in some places when it comes to big crowds. People are therefore going to turn to online purchasing to get their friends and family gifts, and this is where your digital catalogue comes in.
It’s been a long time since the majority of people sat down and took the time to have a read of a print catalogue and the improvement of digital interaction for businesses and consumers has almost entirely made them a thing of the past. Digital catalogues are a great way to show off all your products in a neat little package and re-engage previous buyers. If you’re an avid reader of our publications, you may have already utilised some of our previous articles for advice. If you’re reading this and thinking “That’s me!” then you can use those emails you obtained from here.
With a bespoke catalogue created specifically for your business, you can really showcase your product and/or services and target exactly who you want to with the additional benefit of reduced cost and no printing. Make it interactive and stand out to the consumer to really get your message across and show them everything you have to offer.
Discounts and Offers
According to Global Web Index’s survey, nearly 1 in 3 participants said they wait for products to be on promotion, discount or sale before making purchases. When creating your Christmas marketing, make sure you sweeten the deal by offering incentives to your consumers. Christmas is a great time to offer coupons, giveaways or free gifts. Mix things together, and create bundles so it’s more beneficial for your target market to make purchases as a group rather than individually. Mix this with the aforementioned discounts to really sway them.
Also Read: The ultimate marketing guide for start-ups
At the end of the day, you know your target market and their interests and you can tailor their experience to what best suits their needs. If you think discounts would work better than group offers, or free gifts with purchases of over a certain quantity or cost, then work with it.
Festive Flair
Streets and stores are absolutely filled with bright lights and decorations. The whole vibe of Christmas is inviting and your website should be no different. Updating the visuals on your website will take minimal effort and is one of the simplest things you can do to get potential and existing customers in the festive mood.
Whilst promotional offers are a huge part of your Christmas marketing, how your site looks is a key factor in creating that emotional desire to buy from you. Try switching up your logo to add a festive twist or banners with great designs that draw visitors attention. If you want to really amp up the visuals, create an overlay or animations to the site like falling snow or twinkling lights to really stand out.
Also Read: Kick-off 2022 with a content strategy that delivers.
This, of course, depends on the skills you have readily available and you could always just throw in a few Christmassy images here and there to get a bit of the same effect.
Pair up
At the risk of repeating ourselves, Christmas is all about togetherness and this is also true for businesses. Try teaming up with other businesses that complement your own. For example, if you’re a print company, try teaming up with a packaging company to offer bulk deals or discounts for both your customers.
To Sum Up
In the UK, retail sales go up a hefty 30% during Christmas and 14% of all Christmas sales happen online so it’s a no brainer that you get involved in it. If you want to discuss how to get your Christmas marketing started, or need a helping hand, then reach out to us and we’ll be happy to help!
