Holiday Survival Tips

Don’t let your business fall short this holiday season but instead be prepared for a successful one. You might be wondering what you can do differently to gain a higher traffic level. The answer lies with savvy marketing. It’s the time of year to show your customer appreciation with loyalty offers and wow them with your exclusive products and services. Here are some marketing tips that you can easily implement.

Market the Gift-Worthy Items

According to the National Retail Federation, more than half of holiday shoppers start to research and plan their gifts in October or even earlier. Frame your marketing in a way that helps your customers envision your products on their list. Shoppers search for gifts by categories, such as Gadgets, Games, or Novelty Items, so it’s essential that you create tabs on your site and use appropriate terminology to allow customers to find and navigate to the products they are looking for easily. Begin promoting your products on your social media channels, as well as on your website to start getting your customers’ attention.

Get into the Spirit

It’s difficult to resist winter wonderlands and visions of stockings hanging by a fire. Consumers spend a good portion of the year anticipating the warm and fuzzy feeling associated with the holiday season. Use that to your advantage. Tap into that spirit energy by decorating your window display, having store props, and a seasonal banner that caters to your target market.

Offer Holiday Promotions

Plan your special promotions and sales ahead of time and take advantage of social media to get the word out. Instagram is a great marketing platform where you can reveal the more personal, behind the scenes story about your brand. Create promotional material and content which can be shared on all your channels. Got a rewards program with us? It’s time to reward those loyal customers with great savings, deals and discounts. Send loyal customers an email with their exclusive promo code which only they can access.

Putting Your Best Foot Forward

It may sound like a no-brainer, but to have a successful holiday season, you need to have a full inventory. While you’ve likely already planned and ordered what you hope and expect to sell through the season, it’s essential to have a backup plan.

Go Omnichannel

There are no two ways to it. If you’ve got a brick and mortar store and not selling online, you’re missing out. In 2017, around 42 percent of US consumers had searched for and purchased products online. An increasing number of customers are checking out what they want to buy online before heading out into the world. If your customer can’t find you online, the chances of them purchasing product from your business is highly unlikely. Implement an omnichannel system that integrates into your POS system.

As a retailer, this will be undoubtedly your busiest time of the year, so keeping your game on point can have some real rewards. Failing to prepare appropriately, however, can have long-term consequences, whether it’s disappointed customers or missed revenue. Apply these essential tips into your checklist to ensure you’re ready for a successful holiday season.