The holidays are always an exciting time for everyone. People anticipate them for a number of reasons: increased family time, deals on popular items, and time to travel. Even better, the new year brings an opportunity for a fresh start.
This year, the holiday season is even more eagerly anticipated. People are excited to spend time with the ones they love after staying distant for so many months this year. In fact, the holiday shopping season has already begun online -- and it’s slated to be bigger than ever.
As you plan your holiday marketing, you can take advantage of that excitement to draw in customers both old and new. Follow some or all of these steps to help set your local business up for increased success this holiday season.
1. Create an ad that will help people understand how to shop with your business this holiday season.
For many businesses and consumers, shopping will look very different this holiday season. What options do they have for shopping with your business? Are you offering online options, curbside pickup, or free delivery? What about designating special shopping hours for your more vulnerable customers?
Running a multi-level marketing campaign can let consumers know that you have online shopping options. But, what if you’re a small business without an online buying option? Promote your deals on your website and social media channels, and let your customers know that you have curbside pick-up and in-store purchase options.
Create a commercial that showcases your solutions and invites customers to visit you for their shopping needs. Being clear about the process will make not only it easier for your customers to plan, it will also make you an obvious choice.
2. Sneak peek at your holiday deals.
Run digital ads, OTT ads, or email campaigns that give customers a peek at the deals you'll be offering for the holiday season. Keep in mind that many shoppers may plan their shopping earlier this year because they simply aren't comfortable getting out and shopping deals in-store. Others may need to more carefully plan their shopping trips. Your sneak peeks can help encourage customers to include you in their future shopping plans.
3. Align your business with holiday programming.
The holidays are an exciting time any year. They fill people with a sense of hope and wonder--and this year, as never before, you want to connect that with your business. Align your business with local holiday programming.
KMOV 4 Advertising has a number of options for holiday programming on KMOV. How do those options fit with your business? Talk to us to learn more about the options we already have available or how we can help you create a spot that will help showcase your business alongside the joy of the holidays.
4. Utilize a marketing mix.
Use both TV and Digital aspects to ensure you are reaching everyone. A diverse advertising mix can help you reach more consumers and reinforce your advertising efforts with those who may have already connected with your business through other sources.
Email marketing or digital banner ads can help get the word out about your deals. They also allow people to click through to your website where they can learn more about the great products and services you offer.
Alongside your digital ads, don't forget about TV ads, OTT ads, and social posts. Consider where your consumers most often spend their time during the holidays, then provide a marketing mix that will reach them on the channels that are most important to them.
5. Begin a toy or food drive.
Consumers are always more interested in giving back to their communities around the holidays. This year, more people than usual are dealing with financial hardships that could make the holidays very difficult. Those who do have funds on hand to help are eager to participate, especially since there's a lot of joy that goes along with giving.
Start a food drive or toy drive that will invite your consumers to help you give back to the local community. Consider how you want to help match or grow donations to increase their impact. You may also want to offer a mystery gift for consumers when they participate: a little thank-you directly from your business that will make their holiday season a little brighter.
As you create your fundraiser, keep in mind that you will need to start earlier than usual this year. You may need extra time to sanitize gifts or to coordinate delivery with families. That extra time is ideal for helping your consumers get into the holiday spirit early and carry it throughout the season.
Ready to get started?
The holidays always offer increased opportunities and sales for your business. This year especially, they could be more important than ever before. Are you ready to start bringing your holiday marketing plans to life? Working with a media partner can help make your plans reality. A media partner can help connect you to a larger audience, increase your reach, and spread the word about your community efforts this holiday season.