Holiday Promotional Ideas 2023

With Thanksgiving now over and in the rear-view mirror, we are right in the middle of the holiday season. 

But before you break out the Christmas decorations, you should finalize your holiday marketing plan because it’s not going to finalize itself. But the pandemic has completely changed the way people shop, so what is a small business owner supposed to do now? 

 With local and large-scale competitors vying for as many consumer eyes as possible, you’ll need to diversify your efforts to attract the attention of your customers. 

 Let’s capitalize on some often-overlooked advertising strategies this holiday season. 

TikTok

You either give TikTok a 10/10 or have written it off as a Gen Z wasteland. Whether you like TikTok or not, you can’t argue with the numbers. TikTok is the industry leader in the short-form video space, with over one billion monthly active users. Yes, that’s billion. With a “B.” 

 The average daily time spent on TikTok is 52 minutes, according to Statista. 

 According to YouGovAmerica, 72% of consumers prefer to learn about services by watching videos.  And now it’s easier than ever to target locally, so TikTok should be your first destination for sharing your business’s holiday promos. 

 It’s as easy as putting your own spin on a sound or notion that is currently popular. 

It’s as easy as putting your own spin on a trending sound or concept.  Have fun! 

Pinterest

Yes, the site where you created the mood board for your brick-and-mortar store is also an ideal location for displaying your 2022 holiday promos. Consider Pinterest to be an alternative search engine. 

 It is a social media platform with a powerful search capability. People visit the site because they are looking for something specific. Provide it for them. 

 Create a pin that highlights the main element of your holiday offer.  Concerned about not getting enough attention? 

• Use eye-catching, high-quality, color-coordinated imagery. 
• Ensure your account and pins are optimized.  

Mailers

Contrary to popular belief, direct mail is NOT dead. Direct mail is, in reality, a tried-and-tested technique of marketing that can offer substantial returns. Send mailings to existing and prospective customers that match your target demographic. 

 In comparison to digital advertising, the exposure time for mailers promoting holiday sales is significantly higher. 

 Many folks place mailers on their refrigerators and leave them there until they go shopping. That’s prime real estate for a mailer! 

 And even if they miss the promotion, there’s a good chance they’ll find you when the mailer reappears months later during spring cleaning. 

 Want more? 

 These holiday advertising ideas are absolutely free: 

• Send general thank you emails to existing clients. When you don’t have much to give, expressing gratitude and providing information about holiday events, deals, and loyalty programs is a terrific option. Ensure that you customize the message.
• Send deals your customers way using SMS marketing (text messaging) It’s worth your time, trust me. Text messaging marketing has a 98% open rate compared to email marketing’s 21%.  
• Provide shoppers with gift ideas in order to prevent them from roaming aimlessly across the aisles. 

If you have some budgetary wiggle room, consider the following: 

• Organize a “12 Days of Christmas” giveaway. A modest gesture like selecting one random customer per day to receive a gift could be just the right incentive your customers need to stop by. 

• Offer complimentary gift wrapping to customers who shop with you. Consider doing a virtual gift-wrapping workshop as a means of interacting with customers on a more meaningful level. 

• Offer pre-booking discounts if the holiday season is your low season. Also referred to as “off-season” discounts. There is no need for your lawn care to forego the chance to provide holiday discounts due to a little snow in the next months. 

• Offering discounts on gift certificates can turn current customers into brand advocates. Plus, everyone loves to get a little something back when they’re shopping for others, right?  “Get a $5 off gift card for every $25 in gift certificates purchased” is pretty much guaranteed to get things started. 

Bigger ideas include: 

• Offer discounts to customers who buy in bulk. Create holiday-themed bundles, such as: 

• • 10 sessions for the price of 8 
  • 4 snow tires for the price of 3 
  • 5 haircuts for the price of 4 

• Turn your referral program into a contest for the holidays. Each referral could possibly have their name entered into a raffle for a big prize. Or you could allow the customer with the most referrals win. 

• Host an in-house holiday event. Invite your favorite customers and their +1. This is one method for spreading joy, creating community and making your consumers feel like insiders. Provide samples of new items or services and get feedback at the same time. 

• Partner up with another local business to offer exciting bundles that benefit both of your businesses as well as your customers. Did someone say a gift basket containing a spa gift certificate, hair care goods, and wine?  Customers will love the convenience of a grab-and-go present, and all participating businesses will gain exposure to a new audience! 

There you have it. 14 ways to encourage shoppers to support your business this holiday season. By implementing even a couple of these marketing and promotion strategies, you can spread holiday cheer and increase your sales at the same time. 

What to do after the holidays? Here are 21 Free Ways to Promote Your Business That Work.