Holiday marketing season is in full swing! Consumers are planning their holiday shopping, if they have not started already, and retailers are planning their big holiday marketing and promotional push. If you are looking for some innovative ways to stretch the last piece of your 2012 budget check out these 5 ways to execute a holiday marketing campaign with a limited budget.
Host an “Open House”: Not only a great way to get people in to your business, but a great way to celebrate the season and get your prospects, clients, and customers in the holiday spirit.
Work the Holiday Magic for Your Faithful Customers: Find ways to give your loyal customers a little extra around the holidays. Free shipping, secret sales, or a bonus item is a great, low cost way to make your most loyal customer base feel special during the holidays.
Offer Gift Certificates: Not only are gift certificates (whether they be eCerts, gift cards, or certificates that can be used in either channel) a great way to provide flexible gift options to your customers, they are a great way to thank employees as part of a bonus package. Offering holiday themed cards to retailers such as Boston Market, which brings families together for a meal at holiday time, or Albertsons to help with holiday shopping expenses, is a great way to give back to your business's greatest asset, your workforce.
Get Involved in Community and Charitable Events: Getting in the holiday spirit by giving back to your community is a great way to gain some marketing traction without breaking your budget. You could even sell gift cards at a margin and offer that margin as a charitable donation (i.e. for every gift card sold 10% will be donated to a charity of your business' choosing). This is a great way to boost sales while doing good for a worthwhile cause.
Use Your Website and Social Media to Promote your Holiday Activities: Make sure you communicate your holiday efforts to your audiences. By ensuring clients, customers, partners, and the general public know you are participating in a holiday marketing push will engage your business base, and can rest assured you meet your holiday goals.
