It’s no secret that the holiday shopping season can have a significant impact on a business’s annual revenue. With so much dependent on driving sales during such a short window of time, marketers know they need to take a creative, multifaceted approach to the holiday shopping season.
However, doing so is often easier said than done. Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday celebrations are barely a month apart; it’s a crowded time, and small business marketers are faced with the challenge of standing out in an already crowded field. Developing an effective holiday marketing strategy can be particularly stressful.
Small Businesses and the Holidays
Recent Yahoo Small Business research finds that a majority of consumers (75%) want to shop at and support small businesses, and familiarity with a retailer is the top factor influencing whether they choose to shop small (38% of respondents). Having multiple touchpoints through consistent marketing and promotion across different channels—before, during, and even after the holidays—ensures smaller retailers remain top-of-mind for current and future customers.
Pulling from my experience working with small businesses and supporting my own family business, I recommend small businesses prioritize four areas if they are to have a lasting impact through the holiday season and into the next year.
1. Prepare in advance of the season
Ideally, you’ll want to ensure any e-commerce upgrades and site redesigns are completed prior to the busy season.
Moreover, email lists and content can be queued up and ready to go so you can fire up the holiday marketing machine, including social media content, which can also be prepped before the holiday chaos ensues.