The temperature outside has started to drop and with the falling mercury comes the blizzard of requisite holiday offers and sales. Businesses are starting earlier and earlier, competing for the attention and dollars of the public at large with a flurry of offers containing all kinds of bells and whistles. So, how can your business compete to gain more holiday sales this season? Here are a few helpful tips:
(1) Give to Get
‘Tis the season where consumers are bombarded with all sorts of special sales, discounts, and free gifts to encourage making purchases. So, if your business wants to compete, think about your target customer and the kinds of things that would be of value to them when crafting your holiday offerings. Most companies offer general things like free shipping or percentage-off discounts, so get creative to stand out.
For example, if your business is targeting parents, having some kind of giveaway for their kids can be a great idea. Using tiered giveaways, where the more money spent garners a better reward can also really incentivize customers to spend more of their holiday cash with your business.
You can also host a holiday themed contest where the prize offered is something really splashy and attention-getting that would appeal to your target consumer. And tying contest entries into dollars spent can really help boost those holiday sales. And as a bonus tip, if your business doesn’t have the money to spend on a big prize, you can partner with another business and in exchange for them donating the prize, you can offer to advertise them to your customer base.
(2) Be Charitable
Since virtually everyone is in the giving spirit this time of year, in lieu of sending gifts to your clients and customers, donate that money to a charity that matches the values and mission of your business in their honor. Then, let your clients know about it through holiday cards, press releases, newsletters and social media.
When your clients and customers hear about being recognized through your generous gesture, this will engender more customer loyalty and keep your business top of mind when they are making their holiday purchases. The positive message will often spread and lead to even more attention and sales for your business.
(3) Zag When They Zig
In order to stand out from everyone else this holiday season, do something bold. While everyone else is focused around the same Black Friday sale, maybe start your own Black Tuesday sale tradition. This will make your business stand out and also attract more attention on a typically slower sales day.
Be creative and come up with headline-grabbing offers and activities that differentiate your business from everyone else that would appeal to your specific customer base. People love to be a part of something bigger than themselves, so for example, if you sell coffee, try setting a world record for the most peppermint lattes sold in one day. That kind of event will attract a ton of media attention, get the word out to new customers and ultimately, generate more sales.
What other tips do you have for getting more holiday sales? Please share them below.
Thanks to Harris Glasser of Serving The People Press, Becky Boyd of MediaFirst, Ben Baker of CMYK Solutions Inc, Robert Papes of Papes Consulting and Craig Wolfe of CelebriDucks for the inspiration behind some of these ideas.
