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17th December 2019

Our 4 Top Tips for Local Business Success at Christmas

7
minute read

It’s finally December, and Christmas is looming over us like a sugar cane the size of the Shard. As usual, small businesses are in fierce competition for their piece of the seasonal spending jamboree. You deserve your fair share, so let’s take a look at 4 principles for giving your small business the Christmas it deserves.

1. Prepare for the big dates 

We don’t need to tell you that the whole commercial Christmas period is hectic. This doesn’t just mean December. It’s important to get started as early as October, and run as late as January. If you work in retail, there are only two dates you should worry about: 

  • Black Friday – 27th November (2020)
  • Cyber Monday – 30th November (2020)

Don’t forget the basics. Prepare yourself for an influx of enquiries by ensuring you have staff on hand to answer calls and emails. Consider your stock levels and whether you’ll need more than usual. Will you need to call in any extra employees to help you cover?

On the days themselves, do what you can to encourage customers to leave their contact details with you, so you can reach out to them again at other times of the year.

2. Advertise locally online

Giving back is an important part of the festive season for many of us. As a local business, this could mean renewed interest from your community. Don’t take your sales for granted though – just because you’re present in the area, doesn’t mean that local people will necessarily even know who you are. 

If you want to be visible in 2019, you’ve got to focus on your online marketing strategy. 

If you don’t believe us, check out these statistics:

Put simply, your online visibility matters, whether you actually sell online or not. 

There are a range of options to choose from, all helping you advertise yourself online affordably and effectively. You could build name recognition with a piece of sponsored content or use a Google Ads campaign to drive motivated customers to your door. Whatever option you go for, it’s always advisable to maintain an active presence on social media that allows you to speak directly to your customers. 

To get you started, download this handy checklist of the basics of online advertising.

3. Spread Christmas cheer via email

Email should be a key component of any small business’s Christmas marketing campaign. An email gives you a more intimate line of contact with your customer base, helping you get the word out about new offers, while softly reminding previous customers that you exist. 

If you don’t already have a subscriber list, we recommend you expand your contact book now and get a healthy head-start for next Christmas’s marketing activities. 

A welcome email promoting the first of your Christmas offers is a great way to start things off. This doesn’t need to be a huge giveaway: maybe just an exclusive discount code for subscribers to present in-store.

From then on, email your subscribers to let them know about every new festive promotion. Put a box somewhere prominent on your website for people to input their emails, making it very clear that in return for doing so, they’ll receive exclusive deals and discounts. 

Before you pack up for the holidays, schedule an email to go out on Christmas Day, wishing all your subscribers a Merry Christmas. This will help you look like the kind of considerate, thoughtful business that customers will want to return to in the New Year.

4. Make your Christmas video 

By now, it almost wouldn’t be Christmas without John Lewis or the Coca Cola truck showing up on our screens.

The world’s biggest brands have been reaping the rewards of memorable video ads for years, and now the internet has made it easy and affordable for small businesses to get involved too. 

Online video is the fastest-growing advertising format out there. Video content can do everything, from boost your rank in search engines, to significantly increasing your social media following.

People love watching videos, and a Christmas ad in particular is a great festive highlight. Creating one of your own is now easier than you think, and our video experts will work with you on clip that is engaging, shareable across your digital platforms, and budget friendly. Get in touch with our video team today

Everyone’s warring over that all-important Christmas spend, but you can stand out above the rest if you adopt some smart approaches to getting noticed. Follow these 4 tips, and your business should be all set for a glittering festive season.

Enjoyed this blog? Learn even more marketing tricks with these articles from our festive treasure chest: 

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