on October 31, 2017 inbound marketing lead generation marketing campaigns holiday

Marketing Campaigns to Boost Holiday Sales

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Many companies make more than 50% of their revenue in the final 60 days of the fiscal year. This is an enormous opportunity for you to increase your marketing spend to capture additional revenue. But creating a clever holiday campaign doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. The following are 5 marketing campaign ideas that will help drive additional holiday sales.

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1. Run a Holiday Social Media Contest

WHAT TO DO: Think your industry isn't "sexy" enough to have a holiday social media contest? Think again! First, consider what your prospects or customers would find most valuable. Is it a free consultation? A product giveaway? A gift certificate? Then use that as your prize. Next, think about what is most important to your personas. Is it their family? Their pets? Their jobs? Use this to inform the kind of contest you should run on social media. 

For example, you may consider doing a holiday pet photo contest. Or ask your customers to share an embarrassing childhood holiday photo. Not only does this open engagement channels for you to connect with prospects and clients, but it also offers the opportunity for you to increase your social reach. 

Ask your participants to tag your social media handle in the photo caption. You might also consider creating a unique hashtag so participants can easily search for other entries. 

 HOW TO PROMOTE: Once you've decided on what kind of contest you'd like to run, what the prize will be, and your unique contest hashtag, share the details via social media, email, or a by adding a custom lead flow to your blog. Make sure the deadline and rules are clearly visible. 


2. Participate in Local Giving and Blog About Your Experience

WHAT TO DO: The holidays are about giving, so there's no better time to increase your business's involvement in the local community. (Not to mention - blogging about your participation in local events can help increase your website's local search ranking.) Here are some ideas of how you can get involved during the holidays:

  • Reach Out to the Public School System - Say that your business would like to sponsor the purchase of holiday gifts for children that may need a secret Santa this year. The school may be able to connect you with families that could use a helping hand. 
  • Volunteer at the Local Food Bank - Lace up and head to your local food pantry to volunteer for their holiday feasts. Interact with the members of your community, and ask if they wouldn't mind being quoted in your blog. 
  • Toy or Clothing Drive - Connect with a local charity such as Toys for Tots and offer to participate in their drive. 

 HOW TO PROMOTE: Getting quotes from your employees and the folks you meet in the community can help you write an incredible blog post. Don't forget to take a ton of pictures to share on your social channels. Try to make your participation an annual tradition so that the local businesses can expect your contribution. Local connections and word of mouth can be very powerful in driving new revenue. 

 

3. Run a Holiday Discount Special 

WHAT TO DO: There's no better time than the holidays to offer your products or services at a discount, or in a brand new package offering. As businesses reach the end of Q4, budgets can become tighter and tighter. That's why offering a special discount or holiday promotion can help you capture customers you may not have earlier in the year. 

HOW TO PROMOTE: One of the best ways to capture a newer and larger audience is to promote your offer on social channels with paid advertisements. Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram all have high engagement - especially when there is a discount involved. If you have repeat customers, send a targeted email campaign to customers that haven't purchased in six months or more. 

 

4. Attack #CyberMonday and #SmallBusinessSaturday Early

WHAT TO DO: Cyber Monday and Small Business Saturday are enormous revenue drivers for many businesses. And while these deals are usually targeted to B2C companies, B2B companies can also take advantage of increased shopping traffic during these times. Consider offering a significant discount on products or services if they are purchased on either of these days. 

HOW TO PROMOTE: Many businesses will be promoting deals during this time, so it's important that you begin promoting your special early. In addition to paid social ads, you should also consider sending a targeted email campaign to your contact database. It's also important to include a website banner across your site indicating that you will be having a sale up to two weeks before the date of the sale. Pro Tip: You can capture a larger audience by having a lead flow to collect subscribers during the increased traffic to your site. 

 

5. Increase Customer Success and Retention with Handwritten Cards

WHAT TO DO: Customers are inundated with holiday advertisements during Q4. One way to make your business stand out is to send handwritten cards to your customers. Personalization is key, so be sure to include details such as the date they became a customer, the primary contact's name, or recent purchases. While this takes significantly longer to put together than an email blast, the personal touch can really make a difference to customer retention and word of mouth referrals. 

HOW TO PROMOTE: Create a unique holiday hashtag that you add to your card. The hope is that your customers will take a picture of their card and share it on social using the hashtag you included. This creates more visibility for you, but also helps prospects see how much you value your customers. 

 

It is no small task to whip together a campaign; marketing is your life blood for new lead generation growth, and is super important in the overall survival of your company. If you need help figuring out where to start-LET'S TALK

If you have ideas on being successful during the holiday season then please share your thoughts below. 

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Tara Gearhart

Tara is a high-energy and passionate individual who settles for nothing less than the best. She's spent over 10 years in the Broadcast Media Business, and over 5 years in the SaaS space working with HubSpot, Inbound Marketing Software. She now blends both traditional and inbound methodology to create success for her clients.