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November 2022

Festive Web Marketing Ideas For Your Small Business This Christmas!

Small Business Owner Planning Christmas Web Marketing Strategy.

Festive Web Marketing Ideas For Your Small Business This Christmas!

It’s time to deck the halls! Or, in this case, your web marketing platforms!

As a small business, it’s easy to think you’re “too small” to go big during the holiday season. After all, most companies go all out with festive decor, events and sales. And those large-scale businesses have more space, money and time to make something extravagant come to life. I’m 

Is it possible for a small business to capture shoppers’ attention even amid the holiday buzz?

Of course! And you don’t need a huge budget or a massive space to make that happen.

In this article, we help small business owners create their winter wonderland - online!

Ready to deck your small business in some holiday fun? Let’s start by creating your Christmas web marketing strategy!

 

Why Invest In Holiday Marketing?

If you own a business, you know how important it is to both,

  1. Bring a unique, creative spark to the market, and
  2. Stay on trend with your audience.

It’s why you’ve invested time and effort into learning new platforms and creating one-of-a-kind content! It’s also the reason you installed TikTok, created your first Real and started blogging.

And, in all honesty, it’s the reason you’re here, reading this article, too!

You want to learn HOW to tell your story - how to put yourself out there, engage in the 2022 marketing era and make your mark.

Well, you’re on the right track!

Holiday marketing is not a new concept, as you well know. But staying in tune with your audience and creating content that speaks directly to them in each season? That’s never a stagnant thing to begin with!

Your audience is constantly looking for fresh ideas, new sales and an incredible shopping experience.

And what better time to do that, than at Christmas time?

During the holiday season, shoppers are on the hunt for more than the perfect gift. They’re looking for the best deals, bonuses and experiences. All in hopes of making their Christmas season PERFECT.

This tension to create the perfect Christmas experience is one of the main reasons why holiday web marketing is so effective.

Demand. Urgency. And a willingness to buy.

Customers aren’t simply window-shopping or leaving empty carts in your e-commerce platform anymore. Their buying behaviour has switched from passive to active - increasing their urgency and their willingness to buy.

This increase in demand presents you with the perfect opportunity! The opportunity to create new, holiday-themed content that catches your consumers’ eye.

Benefits of Holiday Marketing

  • Increased Brand Awareness
  • Creative Opportunity
  • Business Growth
  • Product Growth
  • Increased Reach
  • Increased Engagement
  • Increased Sales
  • Increased Website Traffic
  • Increased Brand Awareness
  • Improved Retention of Existing Customers

So get creative this holiday season with your holiday marketing!

 

Creating Your Christmas Web Marketing Strategy

 

Before you start throwing tinsel around, you need a plan of action. Or, to be more precise, a Christmas web marketing strategy.

Grab a scrap piece of wrapping paper and your jolliest pen - it’s time to start planning!

Start Early

There’s a reason we launched this article earlier than planned.

While the phrase, “better late than never, " sometimes works, we don’t recommend it as a philosophy for your holiday marketing.

We wanted to get this information to you as early in the season as possible! So you have the time you need to collect your resources, get a plan in motion and start executing - before the holiday buzz hits.

And, to be honest, it’s already begun!

The 2021 report by the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) stated that 30% of Canadians planned to start Christmas shopping in late October. And 36% said they planned to begin in early November. 

Rumour has it, this year is no different!

With stats like that, it’s crucial to have your holiday marketing ready to go as early as possible!

Set Your Goals

What are your business goals this holiday season? While many businesses go for the typical increase in sales or foot traffic, your goals might look different.

  • Improved Brand Recognition
  • Increased Reach
  • Improved Brand Reputation
  • Optimized Brand Positioning
  • Increased Prospects
  • Improved Customer Retention
  • Optimized Customer Experience

And don’t forget! While you’re setting your goals, remember to make them SMART - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.

Target Your Audience With Intentionality

Whether you have one target demographic or many, learning how to target your holiday marketing to them specifically is vital.

Once you decide WHO you’re targeting, you’ll be able to decide WHERE to launch your efforts and HOW to reach this demographic most effectively.

Start by asking yourself some questions:

Where are your ideal customers?

What are their consumer behaviours?

How can you best connect these answers to launch a campaign that meets your customer exactly where they are - physically and emotionally?

 

7 Effective Christmas Marketing Ideas For Your Small Business

Now that you have a plan, it’s time to get cracking on your holiday web marketing!

Below is a list of easy and effective Christmas marketing ideas. Some of these are tactics we’ve done ourselves, some we've worked on with clients, and others we've seen trending in the market.

Which ones speak to your business, clientele, budget and resources?

While it may not be realistic or in your best interest to do them all, we recommend selecting at least a handful of them. And there are lots of options to choose from that are both affordable and effective!

Host a Contest

Contests are a great way to generate buzz for your business, especially when prizes are involved!

Try hosting one of the below Christmas-themed contests on your social media:

  • Tag campaigns
  • Hashtag challenges
  • Photo contests (i.e. the ugliest sweater)
  • Instagram story quizzes (i.e. which Christmas Move is our favourite?)
  • Video contests (i.e. best Christmas carol parody)

Offer a Giveaway

Giveaways are a fantastic web marketing tactic to use over the holiday season! They can help you reach new customers, spread the word faster and encourage a sense of community on your platform.

When planning your giveaway, we encourage you to also collaborate with other local small business owners. This can help expand your reach to other potential customers and improve your brand reputation.

Decorate Your Website

Do you run an e-commerce business with no physical store location? If so, try this!

While you have no halls, racks or storefronts to decorate, you do have your online store. And there’s no reason why you can’t spread some holiday cheer on your site!

Here are some simple holiday website decor ideas you can put in place:

  • Festive graphics
  • Holiday greeting popups
  • Christmas web banners
  • Seasonal imagery, colour scheme and language

Get Seasonal On Your Socials

And while you’re at it, get seasonal on your socials too!

Start by customizing your cover and profile photos, Then branch out into festive social content, graphics, videos etc.

Incorporate holiday jargon into your captions and ensure your content is as seasonal as you can make it.

One of the recommendations we give our clients at OSM is to book a holiday photoshoot! This can help spice up your content and give your customers something fresh and seasonal to enjoy on your account!

Offer Holiday Discounts

This one is a no-brainer. Who doesn’t LOVE a good holiday discount?

If you’re looking for a way to increase your sales, clear out your inventory or launch a new product, a discount is definitely the way to go.

Examples of Holiday Discounts:

  • Early bird offers
  • Gift card bonus offers
  • Free shipping
  • BOGO (Buy One Get One)
  • Flash sales
  • Bundle and save sales
  • Referral discounts

Make a Christmas Gift Guide With Your Products

Want to promote new or existing products? Try highlighting these products in a Christmas Gift Guide!

Gift guides are easy to make. And they simplify your customers’ shopping experience as well!

Step 1: Title your gift guide.

Step 2: Select appropriate products.

Step 3: Include photos and links to these products.

Step 4: Launch!

Once you’ve completed the list, you can launch it on almost any platform.

We recommend sharing your gift guide on visual and shareable platforms - like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and even your blog!

Release Festive Newsletter Content

Celebrate the holiday season with your newsletter subscribers! Your newsletter can help you engage with your online community, share festive content and attract people to your website.

There are many ways for you to interact with your newsletter subscribers over the Christmas season. That could be sharing a holiday campaign, thanking your customers for their support over the year, or simply sharing a festive video of your team! 

At OSM, we typically share a final Happy Holidays message with our newsletter subscribers before we go on holiday ourselves. It’s an incredible way for our team to thank our customers for their support and wish them a Merry Christmas!

 

That’s a Wrap!

Which of the above Christmas web marketing ideas will you put into action?

As a small business, you have the incredible opportunity to capture your unique customers' attention. And it doesn’t require a large budget or a storefront! All you have to do is harness your creativity, make a plan and get to it.

Need help putting together your holiday marketing materials? Our team at OSM is happy to help! 

Our affordable digital marketing services help your small business gain the traction it needs - even during the holiday buzz!

To learn more about our services, contact our team at (613) 969-0626 or view our digital marketing packages here!

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