Small Business Now
  Your site for small business success

Home
Up
Ask the Expert
New E-Book
Books in Print
Get Coaching Help
Corporate Services
Keynotes/Seminars
For the Media
Home Office Facts
Contact Us

Holiday Marketing

Four tactics that win sales and raise your company’s visibility.

By Kim T. Gordon

    Are you hoping to achieve new fourth-quarter sales goals? Then why settle for the same old marketing tactics? Even if you own a non-seasonal service business, the holidays are a great time to engage in programs that will raise your company visibility and enhance your image – some may even allow you to help others along the way.

    Try one of these four ideas to increase sales and earn goodwill for your company:

    If you’re a brick-and-mortar retailer or sell online, "super-size" your customer rewards program this holiday season. Entice your top-tier customers to spend more by offering a series of premium rewards. Identify products or product areas and offer past customers special discounts or perks, such as free shipping or double rewards points. If you communicate via e-mail, offer speedy checkout to enrolled customers. For best results, make a succession of approximately three premium rewards offers between Halloween and Christmas. And take a page out of Amazon.com’s book by tailoring your rewards to match your customers’ purchase histories.

    This season, make it easier for your customers to give their favorite gifts and build a promotion around the spirit of giving. For example, you can offer a unique promotion on a specific product. When a customer buys "one" you can offer to send a second one, already giftwrapped, at half off to someone on their list. And here’s another idea for those with a wide range of products. Why not offer free personal shopping? Ask customers to, "Give us your list, and we’ll provide suggestions to please everyone on it." Then, as an added bonus, offer giftwrap free.

    Even non-seasonal, service businesses can draw new customers with holiday-related promotions. An auto service and supply business, for instance, could attract new customers by advertising a specially priced "safe holiday travel" promotion, including a tuneup and safety inspection.

    Sometimes small businesses that sell nationwide via direct marketing or online have a difficult time differentiating from the thousands of others that sell similar products or services. It can be tough to build a truly individual identity in the minds of your customers when they have limited contact with you and your staff. The holiday season is a terrific time to show your company’s "heart," and let your customers know that what matters to them also matters to you. One way to accomplish this goal is to donate a portion of sales from a particular type of product or service to a designated charity. Or better yet, allow each customer to choose their favorite from among a list of several national charities to receive the proceeds from their purchases.

    Do you have a local customer base? Instead of the same old holiday party, this year why not make it a special event by linking with a local charitable organization? Sell tickets, offer a silent auction, create an awards program, bring in celebrities, or do whatever it takes to generate income for the charity. Pre- and post-publicity efforts should include invitations and press releases to members of the local media, story ideas or exclusives to key press, and distribution of event photos to the print media. In addition to the philanthropic benefits the charity will enjoy, your company will raise its visibility in the community, establish an image as a good corporate citizen, plus enhance staff morale. Companies that engage in this form of PR often become local heroes. And so can you.

Kim T. Gordon's columns and articles are read by more than 3 million small-business owners each month.  She is a small-business expert and the author of four books, including Maximum Marketing, Minimum Dollars: The Top 50 Ways to Grow Your Small Business.

Copyrighted material. May not be reproduced in whole or part without expressed permission from the author.

This site is designed and produced by National Marketing Federation, Inc.

(c) 2007 All Worldwide Rights Reserved

Privacy Policy