Small Businesses Prepare for Christmas Marketing

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Halloween is over and before stores are hastily putting away the remaining witch hats, fake cob webs, and zombie make-up to make room for Christmas Merchandise.  Soon every shopping mall will deck their halls and switch over to holiday music, if they haven’t already.  ‘Tis the season that could make or break your sales goals.  Here are some tips to help you prepare for the holidays:

  • Review last year’s activities.  What did you do that worked last year?  Review which product and services performed well and which didn’t.  Did you have enough staff to handle increased holiday traffic?  Think of how you can improve your promotions and marketing efforts from last year.
  • All promotional materials should be Christmassy!  Consumers love the holidays so lay it on thick.  Invest in Christmas promotional materials like gift cards, Christmas calendars, Christmas newsletters, and put a festive twist on anything else you would normally use to promote your small business.
  • Measure your Christmas advertising efforts.  Upon review of your marketing strategies from last Christmas, decide on the best media for your target demographic.  Radio and television ads can increase foot traffic.   Local print advertising in publications like the Coffee News could be an effective and affordable option that reaches a local community demographic.  Don’t leave out online advertising and social media efforts, as they can produce viral results.
  • Hire enough seasonal staff.  Hiring extra staff can help you provide exceptional service to the increased volume of customers that lead up to Christmas.  By having enough staff to keep service flowing smoothly you’ll eliminate stress among your employees, customer complaints, problems and boost revenues.
  • Prepare your business house for the holidays.  Preparing your place of business for this busier time is very important.  Get organized to reduce administrative time and stress levels.  Upgrade your software, give your staff the extra training they might need, and it wouldn’t hurt to literally clean and organize your office or place of business in preparation for the holiday rush.