The holiday season is upon us, which means it’s time to get your creative juices flowing as you brainstorm the most festive holiday marketing ideas for promoting your products or services. Of course, if your ingenuity has been tapped out by having to come up with the perfect gift ideas for your family and friends, we can provide a little help.
Here are 8 captivating holiday marketing ideas that will help you connect with your customers during the holiday season and generate more sales.
8 Holiday Marketing Ideas to Generate More Sales
We will now discuss the top holiday marketing ideas to help propel your business.
1. Engage Your Audience with a Holiday Giveaway on Your Social Channels
Everyone enjoys receiving a holiday bonus at the end of the year, even if it’s not a one-year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club. But as Cousin Eddie would suggest, why not consider offering a lucky follower or followers a “gift that keeps on giving” throughout the year?
How about offering a 40% discount on one of your products or services for each month of the new year?
To do so, entice followers with creative contests, whether it’s showing off the most garish ugly Christmas sweater or the most scrumptious holiday treat, across your social media channels. Regardless of what you come up with, you’re sure to generate excitement from your followers and attract new ones. By asking them to like, comment, and share your contest posts, you’ll go a long way toward ramping-up customer engagement.
Example: Launch a “New Year, New Look” campaign where followers can win a year-long 40% discount on one of your popular products. Ask participants to share a picture of their favorite holiday decorations with a unique hashtag, like #NewYearNewLookGiveaway.
Tip: When planning the giveaway, make sure the instructions are clear, and the entry process is simple. Using a unique hashtag can also help you track entries and spread the word about the giveaway.
2. Have Some Festive Fun with Your Holiday Marketing Emails
Email is another effective marketing strategy that you should take advantage of during the holidays. Festive holiday-themed emails will make an indelible impression on your customers and can further help persuade them to make a purchase.
When you’re creating your holiday email campaigns, pay close attention to the subject lines to ensure that your customers know that they have a limited time to take advantage of your special holiday deals. In addition, discounts and other incentives should be incorporated in the subject lines to appeal to your customers.
Example: Send an email with a subject line like “Hurry, 3 days left for our Holiday Sale!” This creates urgency and excitement for your offers.
Tip: Keep your subject lines short, intriguing, and full of holiday cheer. Including specific discounts or incentives in the subject line can increase the open rates.
3. Target Your Customers’ Emotions During the Holiday Season
Most of us have fond memories of the holidays, so why not take advantage of your customers’ sentimental side when appealing to them? Incorporating emotion into your message can help convince them that they really need your products or services.
Whether you use humor, silliness, motivation, or nostalgia as the basis for your message, holiday ads have the power to evoke strong feelings.
Example: Use an ad featuring a family joyously unwrapping your products, with the tagline, “Bring Home More than Gifts, Bring Home Memories.”
Tip: Leverage storytelling in your advertisements to evoke emotional responses. Use common holiday themes such as togetherness, joy, nostalgia, or even humor.
4. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year to Remarket
When shopping, many of us see something we want but have the willpower to tell ourselves that we’ll purchase that product or service later, when we need it or can afford it. Well, for your customers, the holiday season is the ideal time to remind them that there’s no better time than the present. After all, they deserve a little reward after buying so many presents for others.
So if your customers visited the landing page of one of your products or services in the past or have an item in their shopping cart, an ad or email could be just the thing that reminds them how much they need it. The holiday season can be hectic, so they may simply need a small reminder that it’s time to make that purchase. Just make sure to configure your remarketing lists during this time of the year. For example, if customers are added to your remarketing list for a month, cut it down to two weeks so that they have a better chance of seeing your ads or emails.
Example: Send out an email or display an ad reminding customers of the products they left in their cart, saying, “Last chance to grab your favorites before the holiday rush!”
Tip: Regularly update your remarketing list duration based on your sales cycle and buyer behavior. The holiday season is a great time to shorten this duration to ensure your brand stays top of mind.
5. Take Advantage of Video to Spread Holiday Cheer
What’s the best way to spread holiday cheer? According to Buddy the Elf, it’s by “singing loud for all to hear.” Although asking your staff to dress up in their ugliest Christmas sweaters and serenade your target audience and followers with “Jingle Bells” may not seem like the most effective use of video to market your products or services, you never know. After all, your customers want to be able to identify with you on a personal level, so why not have a little fun and show them how much you and your employees enjoy the holidays?
The bottom line is that video is an effective medium for getting across your message, highlighting your products or services, and providing further instruction regarding your products or services. Whether you spruce up your monthly webinar invite with a festive video or showcase a video tour of your business decked out in holiday decorations, you’ll undoubtedly increase customer engagement.
Example: Create a fun behind-the-scenes video of your team decorating the office or making holiday crafts from your products.
Tip: Ensure your videos reflect your brand’s personality. Incorporating your team can humanize your brand, make it more relatable, and build a stronger connection with your audience.
6. Send Joyous Holiday Cards to Your Most Valued Customers
Every customer values being appreciated and thanked for their patronage. So in the spirit of the holiday season, show your repeat customers how much they mean to you by sending out personalized videos or Ecards. Mailing cards is even better, but you may not have the budget or time to do so.
By addressing each customer by name, you’ll go a long way toward ensuring that they’ll continue to purchase your products or services and perhaps even spend a little money during the holiday season. Keep in mind that many of your competitors, particularly if they are larger businesses, won’t likely take the time to send cards to their customers. Therefore, this is a fantastic way to differentiate your business from the competition.
Example: Send a holiday e-card featuring a festive illustration and a heartfelt message such as, “Wishing you a joyful holiday season. Thank you for being a part of our journey this year!”
Tip: Personalize your holiday cards as much as possible. If you can, include specific details about their purchase history or interaction with your brand to make them feel special and valued.
7. Host an Uproarious In-Store Event During the Holidays
Unless you’re the Grinch, who doesn’t enjoy a festive holiday party? So why not invite your customers to your store this holiday season? After all, it’s been proven that customers will have a more positive impression of your brand once they attend an in-store event.
During your party, make sure you play to all of your customers’ senses because that will help ensure that they get the most out of the experience.
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- Exhibit your products so that they can handle them (as long as they can’t be broken), and play holiday music to get them in the spirit
- Design festive displays that can be used throughout the store and in your storefront to bring customers off the street
- Light a few seasonal scented candles
- Offer scrumptious holiday-themed baked goods they can munch on
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In addition, take the time to introduce yourself to as many of your customers as possible. And share your story with them; as mentioned, they want to be able to identify with you on a personal level. Finally, ask your customers to share photos of the holiday party and tag you on social media.
Example: Organize a holiday open house where customers can enjoy holiday treats, festive music, and exclusive discounts.
Tip: Make sure your event caters to all senses. The right sights, sounds, smells, and tastes can create a memorable experience that entices customers to purchase and return.
8. Arrange an Invitation-Only Online or In-Store Holiday Sale
Speaking of your most valued customers, you can reward them for their support by offering a special discount on selected products or services or access to sale items before they go on sale to the general public.
Similarly, you can offer an invitation-only in-store holiday event that features a generous storewide discount of 25%. Or you can extend even larger discounts, such as 40% or 50% off a single item.
These are just some of the creative holiday marketing ideas you can utilize to engage your customers and followers and entice them to spend a little extra money this season. So have a little fun, get creative, and don’t forget to spread the holiday cheer!
Example: Send a special invitation to your top customers for an exclusive “Holiday VIP Sale” where they can shop your new holiday collection before anyone else.
Tip: Use this opportunity to reward your most loyal customers and make them feel appreciated. Exclusivity not only incentivizes purchases but also builds loyalty by making customers feel special.
How to Jumpstart Your Marketing Today
As we wrap up, we want you to remember that successful holiday marketing is all about connecting with your audience, spreading some cheer, and making your customers feel special. These eight strategies offer a variety of ways to engage your customers and enhance your brand’s visibility during the holiday season. However, it’s essential to understand that successful marketing campaigns don’t happen overnight. It requires careful planning, creative thinking, and a solid understanding of your audience.
That’s where we at Oyova come in. Our team of experienced marketers is skilled in creating unique, engaging, and result-driven holiday marketing campaigns tailored to your specific business needs. Don’t let the holiday season pass without making the most of these festive opportunities. Contact Oyova today to explore our digital marketing and web services. We offer web development services, SEO services, content marketing services, and more!
