Seasonal holidays provide a fantastic opportunity for you to get creative and boost the visibility of your small business.
Whilst it might seem a little too early to be preparing for Christmas, we can assure you it isn’t!
Studies from RSC UK have shown that 38% of people start their Christmas shopping in October. So, you’ll need to have your Christmas marketing plans finalized before the end of September if you want to stay ahead.
To help you get started, we’ve put together some of our favourite Christmas marketing ideas for small businesses. Read on to find out what they are.
1. Run a festive competition.
Nothing gets people in the festive mood like a Christmas competition!
Whether you choose to use social media, email marketing or your own website, competitions are a great way to get your audience engaging with your brand during the festive season.
Here are a few of our favourite Christmas competition ideas:
A photo competition
One of the oldest tricks in the book! Perfect for social media platforms, like Instagram, a photo competition is a great way to let your clients showcase their creativity.
Simply ask your audience to take a festive photo of one of your products, their best Christmas jumper, or something associated with your brand, get them to upload it with a branded hashtag and pick the best one to win a prize.
Top tip: Make sure your prize is something to do with Christmas. Branded gifts and festive chocolate are great cost-effective options.
Run a social media treasure hunt
Whether you’re looking to increase your website traffic or get more people to engage with your brand on social media, a festive treasure hunt is a great way to get your customers excited about the festive season.
During advent, hide festive characters in your social media posts or on your website and ask your clients to tell you how many they find.
Top Tip: If you're hiding them on your website, hide them amongst your Christmas gift selection – then you’ll get your clients excited about the range of festive treats you have to offer.
A Christmas voting competition
If you're launching new products in the run-up to Christmas, planning a voting competition is a fantastic way to get your customers involved in the launch.
Asking your social media followers which of your products they would add to their Christmas wish list is a fun way to gather data about your most popular products, ready for next year.
To encourage audience participation, make it into a draw! Select someone from the comments to win the festive item they selected.
A photo caption contest
One of the simplest competitions to run, a photo caption contest, can help you increase your social media engagement in the run-up to Christmas.
Take a funny, festive picture of a team member and ask your followers to caption it on social media. Pick the best caption and congratulate them with a fun, festive prize!
To encourage even more engagement, announce the winning caption in another post. It’s bound to make your followers laugh.
2. Send bespoke Christmas cards to your top clients.
Nothing says Christmas like a traditional Christmas card!
Branding your Christmas card with a festive photo of your team or a creative Christmas design that incorporates your branding is a fantastic way to ensure your greetings stand out from shop-bought alternatives.
Top tip: Handwriting your corporate Christmas cards is an extra-special way to show your clients you care. Producing handwritten cards takes time and effort, showing your clients that you’ve gone the extra mile and helping to improve your customer loyalty as you head into 2022.
3. Have a go at creating your own Christmas ad.
Creating a Christmas video ad isn’t reserved for the likes of John Lewis. With some willing volunteers and a smartphone, any business can have a go at creating their own Christmas advertisement.
Top tip: Emotion is a powerful persuasion technique. Creating a Christmas ad campaign that pulls on heartstrings, or evokes a sense of nostalgia, is a brilliant way to get your audience to engage with your content.
4. Create a social media advent calendar.
Social media advent calendars are a simple way to engage your audience. Each day, reveal an exclusive piece of content. It could be anything from giving away one of your products or a fun video of your team to a discount code or a piece of informative content.
In 2019, we had a go at creating our own social media advent calendar. We visited Leicestershire businesses and had great fun revealing a new, exclusive offer every day. (Check out the SVP 2019 Advent Calendar here).
5. Plan a Christmas gratitude campaign
Not only do corporate Christmas promotional gifts show your clients you care, but they’re also a great way to keep your business at the forefront of their minds during the festive period.
Sending a branded advent calendar, customised 2022 calendar, a bespoke Christmas cracker filled with festive treats or, some festive branded merchandise is a great way to get your brand noticed and to thank your clients for their custom.
6. Get involved with Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday takes place on the first Saturday in December every year and is a campaign that encourages consumers to ‘shop locally’ and support small businesses in their communities.
You can advertise your business on the Small Business Saturday website for free, getting your brand in front of thousands of potential clients.
Getting involved with social media on the day and tweeting with the hashtag #SmallBizSatUK is a great way to spread the word about your business and get an idea of what other small businesses are up to during the festive season.
7. Run a direct mail campaign.
With online advertising becoming increasingly popular, print allows you to stand out from the crowd and make a huge impression on your target audience.
Sending out direct mail postcards is a cost-effective way can reconnect with your audience as we enter 2022.
Top Tip: Personalisation is key when it comes to planning your Christmas campaign. Including a personalised offer or note on your bespoke Christmas cards and festive direct mail, postcards are a great way to engage your customers. Research shows that 80% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand that provides personalised experiences.
8. Create a Christmas product catalogue.
Christmas product catalogues are a brilliant way to show off all your festive products in one place.
Combine stunning imagery, well-crafted photos and a standout design to create a Christmas gift guide that your prospects won’t want to put down.
Catalogues are fantastic for mailing to your top customers or posting alongside orders to ensure your range of products gets directly into the hands of your customers.
9. Improve your customer service.
Simple yet effective, adding something special to your service is a great way to spread the festive cheer in the run-up to Christmas.
You could offer a complimentary gift wrapping service, including free product samples in your order, or include a handwritten thank you note with all of your orders.
If you have a larger budget, why not go the extra mile! Sending out a bespoke Christmas hamper, branded advent calendar or, a customised Christmas cracker filled with Christmas treats is a wonderful way to make your clients feel valued.
Get started with your Christmas marketing campaigns.
Christmas can be a busy and stressful time for small business owners and marketers. By planning and preparing your Christmas marketing campaigns early, you can overcome these challenges and ensure your business thrives during the holiday season.
To find out more about how print could help your Christmas marketing campaigns stand out from the crowd, don’t hesitate to contact us by calling 0116 259 9955 or email orders@soarvalleypress.co.uk.
Or, to see our full range of festive Christmas print, click here.