If you are a business owner, November is the perfect time to start creating your holiday promotions.
The new reality that we all live in calls for a new level of creative and inventive ideas to reach our customers.
When I help my clients create their promotions, I invite them first to answer these three questions:
1. What service or product that you offer do you PERSONALLY LOVE the most?
2. Why would you PERSONALLY CHOOSE these items as gifts?
3. What results, solutions or benefits do they provide that you REALLY LIKE?
The reason these questions are so important is:
- when you focus on the products/services that you love, your marketing message is authentic
- your clients know that you speak from experience and can feel your energy and excitement
- the actual sale becomes easier
Authentic marketing is here to stay, and I invite you to embrace it. Since most people struggle with what to buy for their loved ones for Christmas, let me share with you a few ideas for successful promotions that will help them find the perfect gift.
SUCCESSFUL HOLIDAY PROMOTIONS IDEAS
Let’s start simply by preparing Your Holiday Gift Guide that features your favorite products.
#1. ONE PAGE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
Think about a one-page version of a Saks Gift Guide that you receive each year in the mail. You can create a similar one-page flier that features your favorite products and/or services.
Choose different types and price points of your services and/or products for your guide. Feature more exclusive and expensive items together with more affordable options to reach clients with different budgets.
For example: If you are a spa owner, feature a HydroFacial or other advanced spa treatment as your high ticket service and combine it with a few lower priced gift ideas like:
- Face cream for your sister/husband under $50
- A face mask Mom/Aunt Would Love for $40 and less
- Hanukkah Gift for $80
You can promote your Holiday Gift Guide in your daily social media posts, send it via email, or even mail a hard copy to your clients.
A Useful Tip: For creating your guide, I recommend using Canva, a simple design software, that provides a variety of samples of different cards and fliers and beautiful high quality stock photos if you don’t have your own.
#2. 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS OR 8 DAYS OF HANUKKAH GIFT IDEAS
You can create excitement and engagement with your audience using daily posts and a few emails featuring different products and/or services EVERY DAY FOR SEVERAL DAYS. Focus on the benefits of your featured products, share creative ideas on how they can be used, and provide expert tips. Think about a sequence of products that builds excitement and can be used together. Start with a partridge in a pear tree.
For Example: If you are an interior designer you can feature a desk or a console (high ticket) and over the next few days give examples of creative and beautiful ideas of how to decorate it with lower investment pieces. This way you can feature lamps, books, crystals, candles, vases, and trays to show new trends in design.
A Useful Tip: Offer beautiful and complimentary holiday gift wrapping in your store.
#3. OFFER A UNIQUE GIFT – A CONSULTATION WITH AN EXPERT
Over the past decade, research has shown that experiences bring people more happiness than do possessions. Experiential gifts create anticipation and excitement that go way beyond the moment of receiving the gift.
A delicious meal at a restaurant, a consultation with a talented stylist, a life coach, or an interior design session are all unique gift offerings and a great way for potential customers to experience your services.
There is nothing that shows your expertise and builds trust and connection better than meeting with a new client in person or via zoom. You will have an unique opportunity to gain a long-term client.
#4. AN EXCLUSIVE VIP HOLIDAY SALE PREVIEW
Make your promotion really exclusive and build anticipation with sale reveals, previews, private showings, private sales, behind the scenes, and a sneak peek.
Send an email to your VIP client list before the BIG REVEAL of sale items to social media followers and the rest of the world.
You can invite your VIP clients for a private shopping experience (both online and off-line) a few days in advance. This will allow them to select the sale items before the big sale day.
A Useful Tip: Limited time offers will help you create a sense of urgency. You might want to add: One day sale ONLY, ends at midnight.
#5. A GIFT CARD WITH A TWIST.
The holiday classic. The key to sell many of your gift cards is to start promoting them early and be creative. You can combine this promotion with YOUR HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE and the 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS & 8 DAYS TO HANUKKAH GIFT IDEAS for maximum results.
The key is that you show your clients that you are creative and have new and fresh ideas to share with them. You also show that your brand is unique and focused on your clients’ needs.
A Useful Tip: Use discount codes and reward points. This promotion is great as one of your client appreciation campaigns.
TWO THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
1. CREATE YOUR HOLIDAY PROMOTION CALENDAR
Having a calendar will help you and your team keep track of how long your promotions run (when does your promotion start and when it will end), when you send emails to your list, when you schedule your social media posts.
A Useful Tip: If you work with a team or an assistant, use a FREE Google or Apple calendar that you can all share or go “low-tech” and use a large paper calendar that you can see on your desk or a wall.
2. OPTIMIZE ALL YOUR CHANNELS
Think about using all your marketing tools: content creation, articles, blog posts, social media posts, and stories to support your promotions. All your marketing messages should be featuring your promotional services and/or products.
Be sure to create a branded holiday hashtag. Rather than using a generic hashtag, such as #HappyHolidays or #MerryChristmas, a branded # that uses your company’s name, such as, #LDVEliteHolidayTip, #LDVEliteHolidayGuide. Use your social media channels like FaceBook, Instagram, Linkedin, and others for daily posts as well as private messages to directly connect with your clients.
Remember, consistency is key when approaching holiday marketing.
A Useful Tip: To make your social media marketing promotion easy to manage all in one place, use tools like Hootsuite or Buffer.
In summary, the three keys to A Successful Holiday Campaign are:
- Plan in advance
- KISS (Keep It Simple Sister)
- Be creative and make it FUN, it’s the holidays!
IF YOU NEED PERSONALIZED SUPPORT TO CREATE YOUR DREAM BUSINESS, FINANCIAL FREEDOM, AND TO LIVE YOUR TRUE PURPOSE, CONNECT WITH ME.
Let’s create a plan to help you reach your business and personal goals from a space of true alignment and using world-class strategies.
Visit my WEBSITE and book your FREE CONSULTATION so we can talk about how I can support you in getting clear on your business, lifestyle and financial objectives.
Sending you lots of love,
For more info visit our website @ldvelite.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
RENIA M. ORR IS AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STRATEGIST, SUCCESS COACH, SPEAKER, AND THE FOUNDER OF LDV ELITE.
SHE IS A SPEAKER FOR FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES, APPEARS ON NBC TV AND OTHER TELEVISION PROGRAMMING, AND IS AN ACCOMPLISHED AUTHOR.
