16 Dec 10 tips for marketing over the Christmas break
Read time: 8 minutes
Our fourth edition to our ‘10 tips’ blog series is 10 tips for marketing over the Christmas break. The Christmas season is a great time to make sales and promote your brand to customers. Constant marketing efforts also ensure that you build and maintain a connection with your customers.
However, it is also an important to take some time off work and spend time with your family. With so many things happening over Christmas, the art of balancing both work and relaxation is not easy, so we have a couple of tips! Keep reading to find out how you can do your marketing over the Christmas break while taking your well-deserved break.
10 tips for marketing over the Christmas break
-
Start planning early
It is always best to start planning early, especially when faced with a big break like the Christmas holidays. Think about what you would like to do that is special for your customers and helps you stand out from your competitors. Generic holiday campaigns lose the interest of customers, so ensure that you have planned for something that is true to your brand and your target audience!
-
Use Christmas themed artwork on your digital platforms
Think of Christmas themed artwork like Christmas decorations in a retail store. You want customers to know you have products that are relevant to Christmas (can be purchased as gifts, used to decorate your home etc.) or that you are having sales for the holidays. Using Christmas themed artwork on your digital platforms engages your customers and makes the shopping experience feel more special.
-
Use Christmas themed hashtags
In addition to using Christmas themed artwork, you can also engage with your customers by using Christmas themed hashtags. We recommend you choosing Christmas themed hashtags that are relevant to your business. However, at the same time, these hashtags should be regularly by your customers. This helps your business remain visible on social media platforms to customers who are more likely to buy your products or services. Remember, hashtags are global, so if your business is local only, use local hashtags. See our Instagram hashtag guide here.
Some hashtags we recommend for checking out for Christmas:
-
Create holiday themed posts
Creating holiday themed posts for your social media accounts is a great way to connect with customers during the Christmas break. Popular holiday posts include sales notifications. These are especially effective in the weeks leading up to Christmas and on Boxing Day where customers are actively seeking to buy.
-
Schedule in all your posts
The time around Christmas and the new year can be quite busy with employees taking breaks. To remain consistent with your marketing over the Christmas break, it is best to schedule in all your posts before you go on holidays. We recommend scheduling posts to last until the end of January. This ensures that you do not need to worry about your social media content until you settle into your work routine again.
-
Run competitions during the holiday season
Running competitions during the Christmas break can create buzz around your brand during a time where people are willing to spend. As this time period is memorable for everyone, participating in these competitions will keep your brand in top of mind amongst customers. Social media competitions are especially successful in creating more engagement as people tag their friends and family to spread word about the competition, and hence your brand.
-
Monitor social media accounts
Keep an eye on your social media accounts during this period to ensure that all your customers are being responded to. Your engagement on social media posts is likely to increase during December, so you want to make sure you’re not leaving customers with feedback or enquiries hanging.
-
Communicate with your customers
It is important that your customers know what days your business will not be operating. On days that you know that no one will be in office or your store hours will be changed, let your customers know earlier. This can easily be done through your social media pages or via an email campaign sent out in advance. If customers miss this and still try to contact you, have an automated email or voicemail let them know when you will be back. This also helps protect your brand as customers know that you will always communicate important information to them.
-
Offer complimentary gifts or vouchers
Christmas is a time for gift-giving among friends and family, but this has now extended to businesses and their customers as well. Complimentary gifts over a limited time such as the Christmas break can make purchases more memorable for customers. Complimentary gifts and vouchers can also be used in place of a sale. This can help you stand out from your competitors who may just discount their products. Try including a small item with online orders that exceed a certain spend, or throw in a $10 voucher with every service booked.
-
Take a break!
While it is important to ensure your marketing is running over the Christmas break, it’s just as important to clear your head and relax! The best ideas come when you’re feeling well rested and refreshed. Take this time to reset and come back in 2020 with new creative ideas to help grow your business. Here’s to another year of innovative marketing ideas!
We hope you found these 10 tips on marketing over the Christmas break helpful! Follow us on LinkedIn to be notified when we upload our next blog.
Redsteps will also be going on holidays over the Christmas break. Our office will be closed from 12.30pm on the 20th of December and will reopen on the 6th of January 2020. Our team will still be monitoring social media accounts over the break. If you have any urgent enquiries, please contact your account manager. The Redsteps team wishes you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!