Christmas Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

The holiday season is fast approaching and, as a small business, you need to start getting prepared.

With many large corporations pulling out all the stops for their Christmas campaigns, planning your own may seem like a daunting or overwhelming process.

So, if you’re looking to separate your brand from the competition, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite Christmas advertising ideas for small budgets.

1. Make your marketing communications festive.

Making your marketing communications Christmassy is a great way to ensure your brand is at the forefront of your ideal clients’ minds, during the festive season.

Sending out a catalogue filled with potential gift ideas, writing a Christmas-themed blog post or handing out seasonal flyers and leaflets are great ways to engage your clients and prospects over the festive season.

2. Improve your customer service.

Whether your business has a physical shop or is purely online, adding something special to your service is a simple way to spread the festive cheer.

You could offer a gift wrapping-service, include free product samples in your orders, or include a personalised thank you note with each order.

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 great way to make your clients feel valued and improve your customer loyalty as you head into 2021.

3. Run a holiday social media campaign

Festive social media campaigns can be a great way to surprise and delight your audience whilst also extending your brand’s reach and visibility.

Social media advent calendars are a fun and simple way to engage with your audience. Each day you reveal an exclusive piece of content, which can be anything from discounts, to videos of your team, to exclusive photos or free guides.

Last year, we had a go at creating our own social media advent calendar. We visited local businesses and had great fun revealing a new, exclusive offer every day. (Check out the SVP 2019 Advent Calendar here).

4. Run a festive competition

Another great way to leverage the power of social media, during the holiday season, is running a Christmas competition. Why not run a photo competition encouraging your customers to get creative or ask your followers to tag their friends in the comments of your post for a chance to win a prize. These are both great ways to get your followers to interact with your brand.

You will want to have simple entry rules, such as filling in a form on your website or posting a picture on social media with a hashtag to increase the number of consumers who enter.

Top Tip: Ensure the prize you pick is something related to Christmas or your business. You could give away some of your products/services, promotional merchandise, branded chocolates, or a custom Christmas hamper.

5. Run a direct mail campaign

With online advertising becoming increasingly populated, the best way to stand out from your competitors is by leveraging the power of print.

Sending out Christmas greetings cards, or direct mail postcards can help you reconnect with your clients and encourage customer loyalty as you head into 2021.

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 (Epsilon).

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.

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.