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Christmas Marketing Ideas

Christmas Marketing Ideas

by | Dec 17, 2021 | Digital Marketing

It’s almost Christmas! We don’t blame you if you munch on a mince pie whilst you read. If you are running a business this Christmas, you will know that it is a peak time for consumers to make large purchases. 

 
Not sure how to make the most of the holiday season? We’ve got you covered. 🎄 Here’s 4 Christmas Marketing Ideas to start now that can help you make more sales and increase customer loyalty. Read to the end to check out one Christmas tip for next year! ⬇️ 

1. Create gift bundles 

Does your business sell a product? If so, you can create gift bundles for your customers to get a selection of products at a discounted rate.  

Commonly you will see gift bundles consisting of bath products, self-care items, and food and drink products, however, you can create a bundle of almost anything! 

Top Tip: Try coupling a few new products with customer favourites and older stock to get it moving. Offer bundles with different price ranges to try and allow all your customer base to make a purchase. 

2. Offer free shipping and returns 

There is nothing worse than having to pay for shipping AND potentially paying for a return. Offering both for free is an incentive for your customers to make a purchase as they know they can return it at no expense. 

Top Tip: Spread the word! Promote it using website banners and social media so that people know. Don’t wait for customers to see it at the checkout! 

3. Create a holiday theme for your website 

Give your website that extra sparkle this Christmas. Think Christmas banners, festive colours, and fun backgrounds.  

While promotional discounts and special offers are the core of your holiday sales, it’s the look of your site that creates the emotional desire to buy. Updating your website to be up to date with the holiday period shows that your business is active, and fresh. 

So rather than having a straightforward theme all year round, seasonal design elements help you to resonate with your audience on a personal level. 

Want to learn how to make your branding effective all year round? Click here to read how important branding REALLY is. 

Top Tip: If your website has specific branding in place, e.g. a colour scheme, try adding small decorations to banners and images such as snowflakes. 

4. Spruce up your email subject lines 

At this time of the year, email inboxes are being flooded with emails, I’m sure you will have noticed your own following this trend too.  

When you are trying to compete with other businesses for attention, you need to ensure that you email subject lines are catchy and entice people to want to know more. 

Think Christmas themed and short. We are partial to a good Christmas pun ourselves! Here’s some general Christmas themed email subject lines you could use in your marketing:  

  • There’s still time…🎁🎅🎄 
  • Christmas Deals Hot Enough to Warm Up Jack Frost 
  • Have you been naughty or nice this year? 😈😇 
  • Spoil yourself with our 2-for-1 deal this Christmas 
  • Free Shipping Until December 25th! 
  • Open to receive your Christmas gift from us 🎁🎄 
  • Last Chance for Guaranteed Delivery Before Christmas! 
  • The Ultimate Last-Minute Guide to Holiday Shopping 
  • You Can Still Get It in Time for Christmas! 
  • 🚚 Free Delivery for Christmas 

Top Tip: USE CHRISTMAS THEMED EMOJIS. Using emojis in your email subject lines can be an effective and attention-generating technique to increase your email open rates and get more people engaging with your campaigns. 

5. Run a “12 Days of Christmas” promotion 

It’s never too early to start thinking about next year! Whilst it’s too late to implement this now, running this promotion is a sure-fire way to reel in the customers. 

Large businesses are usually the most likely to implement this however any size business can make it their own. 

A “12 Days of Christmas” promotion is when a business promotes a different offer on each day for 12 days. This could be a sitewide discount, a specific item on offer, 3 for 2 on selected lines or even a free small gift on orders over a certain amount. 

These offers do not have to be ground-breaking or cause detriment to your business. These promotions should be used to entice customers to check back for the next offer. 

Promoting it on social media can also cause your follower count to rise and improve engagement as people want to stay up to date for the next deal. Don’t underestimate the power of referral marketing. People will tell their friends and family about good deals and therefore spread word of your business without you doing anything! 

Top Tip: It’s never too early to start a PLAN for next year’s Christmas Marketing. Planning early can ensure your marketing is in tip top shape. 

Spread some CHEER this Christmas… 

This year has been difficult for us all but has hit some people harder than others. Donating to a food bank or charity this Christmas can help someone have a magical Christmas!  One of our wonderful clients, National Safety Inspections, has been collecting food to donate to food banks across Leeds. 

We would encourage everyone who can to donate to a food bank this year, however big or small, by dropping off food or donating online! Click here to donate online. 

If you are unable to donate, there are lots of other ways to give back this Christmas. Small acts of kindness can have just as big an impact on someone’s life, tell someone that corny joke you’ve been holding in! Go on, we give you permission. 

We hope these tips help. If you’re planning on running any promotions or getting creative with your marketing this Christmas, let us know down in the comments section. We’d also love to hear if you are giving back in any way this festive season!  

If you need any help with your marketing, we available all year round! A marketing agency isn’t just for Christmas! Click here to book a discovery call now. 

How to use Google My Business to Grow

How to use Google My Business to Grow

by | Nov 4, 2021 | Digital Marketing

Wouldn’t it be amazing to know you are getting customers from Google just by following a few steps? Who are we kidding, of course it would be! 

With some guidance, using Google My Business is a simple and effective way to reach potential customers and show off the best parts of your business. Brick and mortar businesses and online businesses can both benefit from the effects of Google My Business. 

Below we have collated our top 5 steps to help you grow using Google My Business. 

1. Share images and videos of your business 

PEOPLE buy PEOPLE (cliché but true), not businesses or corporations. Prospective customers love behind-the-scenes shots of what’s going on at your business. Humans are nosey people! 

Make the most of your images by choosing the right size to fit its purpose: 

  • Profile picture: Your profile picture is what your customers will recognise your company by on Google. Ensure it is memorable, recognisable and high quality. For a profile picture, your image should be 250×250 pixels. 
  • Cover photo: Your cover photo is also set as your listings preferred image to show first, ideally this is where you can showcase your companies personality, this is not a guarantee that it will show first however. An image of 1080×608 pixels should be used. 
  • Other images: Customers like images, it gives an insight into your business and the people who work there. Use images in Google My Business posts to improve your posts and increase chances of a purchase or booking. Use an image of 720×540 pixels for any additional images. 

Videos are rapidly increasing in popularity and effectiveness.  With the amount of choice available to consumers, people are doing a quick internet search to find the best product to fit their needs. Videos are exemplary at giving people an up-close in depth look at what you are offering.  

Did you know that 81 % of businesses are now using video for marketing? 

A video can improve trust in your product and encourage people to make a purchase. After all, 90% of consumers claim a video will help them make a purchasing decision. 

2. Share your products 

A great feature on Google My Business is the ability to add products to your listing. If you have a retail business, adding your best-selling products to your Google listing can boost sales and shows prospective customers your products without even going to your website. 

Use this feature to add best sellers and products that you want to push. Use eye catching pictures to draw attention, ensure your product description is succinct but includes enough information about your product to entice a purchase and make sure your price is correct!  

No one likes going to checkout and noticing a price has gone up unexpectedly, if anything changes regarding your products promptly update your Google listing for it, your customers will appreciate it. 

3. Generate reviews 

Don’t underestimate the power of online reviews, 93% of consumers say that online reviews have influenced their purchase decisions!  

Google My Business reviews are a gold mine for new customers. Don’t be shy to ask for reviews from former and current customers, when prompted most customers are happy to leave a review.  

Did you know that Facebook reviews also show up on Google My Business? Now you do!  

Online reviews allow for your customers to share their experiences with your business and can bring credibility to your product or service. Negative reviews can have a bad effect on your business, but Google My Business reviews are interactable which means if someone did, hypothetically, leave a bad review you could respond and resolve the issue.  

You should RESPOND to all reviews whether they are good or bad by using personalised responses and customer names. Show care and appreciation towards customers as consumers will also be looking for this. 

4. Share your events 

Whether it is a sale, workshop, price reduction or open house, you should share it! Posting events to your Google My Business page will make it known to more people and can allow for more attendance/engagement. Present your event in a fun and engaging manner, no one wants to sign up for an event that sounds boring or uninformative. 

When posting an event, include a link for people to sign up for said event or a link to a product page if there is a sale. Make it simple for customers to get involved, the less steps they need to take the more likely they are to participate. 

5. Monitor your analytics 

Google My Business insights is a great tool to see how people interact with your listing. If you are implementing our previous tips then you need to monitor their analytics too. 

You can view how many people have viewed your photos, how often your business is searched and what actions your customers take such as going to your website amongst many other visibility and engagement statistics. 

Keeping track of your analytics can show you what to continue doing and what needs to be improved. If you notice certain Google My Business posts get significant interaction whilst others do not then be FLEXIBLE and consider changing your plan accordingly. As humans we don’t always like change but it is necessary to improve and thrive. 

Google My Business is a tool that all businesses should be using, whether small or large, to engage with customers and promote their business.  

We hope these tips can allow you to revamp your listing and set your business on the trajectory to success. If you need help getting your marketing on track, just get in touch! Marketing is where we shine. 

Click here to book a discovery call with us now and see what we can do for your business.