Last Minute Holiday Marketing Tricks For You to Do Right Now
Loads of planning goes into Christmas marketing, but here are some ideas you may have missed along the way.
I get it, you’re probably maxed out on Christmas marketing strategies. All those wild discounts and intense promotions big box stores wield like customer swiping machetes can be hard to compete with for a smaller, independent brand.
Big brands have giant marketing budgets that churn out deals that are hard to imagine competing with - but herein lies your power as a small seller. You can quickly bob and weave with the trends in a way that big Titanic level corporations just can’t.
Here are some ideas to put into motion right this minute:
Before Anything Else, Start with Social Media
Identify what people really want today! Take a scan of your social media feeds, and type in a few keywords on Pinterest to see what’s trending in gifting, decorating, and pop culture in general. Refer to the Google Search Trends page to see what people are currently searching. Learning to use these tools will help you carve out a niche on social media that will have your competitors scratching their heads.
Understand how social media drives all other forms of marketing. With a few exceptions, gift guide picks have evolved into being more about SEO and commission percentages than featuring the best products. Oh, don’t get me wrong, your product has to be good and well packaged - but that’s just a jumping off point. Shopping editors are under intense pressure to monetize their posts, and as such they rely on things like review counts on Amazon, and engagement on social media to decide what products seem like they’ll convert to traffic and clicks.
Engage with the audience on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn in a manner that speaks to their interests, not necessarily your needs. I specifically said “the audience” because your engaged followers are not the only element to consider. In order to demonstrate that you’re an attention worthy brand you need to take the ideas from the intel gathering you did in step one and put them into action. To make social media worthwhile you need to create viral worthy content that will appeal to a wide audience if you want to grow and maximize your impact.
For example, today the top searches (that we’re interested in = it’s best to focus solely on entertainment and light pop culture) on Google are about Taylor Swift (when aren’t they?), the Spinal Tap sequel, Reba McEntire on The Voice, and Solar Flares from the Sun).
Now, how do you capitalize on these micro-trends lickity split? Find a trending audio that relates to one of these concepts or create your own. Don’t use a direct sound grab from a show unless it’s in circulation already on social media - even then it could be removed without notice, leaving your reel flat. Using sound and images without permission can get you sued, but there’s nothing wrong with creating your own version of audio using the words and ideas of pop culture happenings. Just do a quick recording on your phone of something that someone said that’s key to the trend and pop it over video that is someway related. This could be dazzling video of your product, or images of a beautiful display at one of your retailers.
It could be a clip from: a trending Taylor Swift song over video of you packing up orders; soundbite from the Kardashians over video of your products on display in a store; someone discussing solar flares over video of someone using your product; and of course there are a myriad of iconic Spinal Tap soundbites (like turn it up to 11) that could go over anything holiday related.
Pitch for Valentine’s Day (and New Year’s)
I know it sounds counterintuitive for promoting Christmas, but this is a tactic that few brands seem to have worked out. Valentine’s Day gift guides and New Year renewal concepts usually roll-out right after Christmas. This is the week when everyone is home reading their emails and returning their unwanted presents, a prime shopping week that often is forgotten. Christmas glory that glowed bright just a few days before starts to look a little tarnished and the world wants to move on. It’s convenient that Valentine’s Day colors dovetail nicely with Christmas - and the concept of romance work for both holidays well too.
Leverage Customer Reviews
Customer reviews have become intrinsic to getting covered on many websites - some require at least 500 positive reviews on a product to be considered for publication. These reviews need to be on Amazon, Etsy or some other verifiable medium to be taken seriously. If you have loads of reviews, make good use of them through your social feeds. Make a graphic using Canva that displays your stats and use some of the better and more recent ones directly.
If you are review deficient now is a great time to build up that asset. If you’ve cultivated a good email list you can ask your customers to post a review and offer some sort of non-monetary reward.
Make Sure Everyone Knows What You Have Beyond Your Hero Product
This point is somewhat obvious but also commonly overlooked. Having a well-recognized and warmly embraced hero product is wonderful, but if you have more in your catalog to offer, now is a good time to make sure everyone knows what you have. Do this through email, social media, and on your website.
Consider a Gift With Purchase
Everyone loves getting a little something extra with their purchases, especially this time of year. If you have sample sizes of products that you can give away, consider making them a gift with purchase. The more limited and exclusive the better.
Other ideas for a gift with purchase could be cute little ornaments that you can buy in bulk or make, small bags (either fabric or paper) that say something really clever, or even a little stress-relieving squeezy toy that people can keep on their desks. I mention this last idea because I have a little rubber unicorn squeezy toy sitting on my desk that Tractor Supply gave away recently. It’s just a silly little thing but I love it and I think of the store every time I look at it. The gift should add value and doesn’t need to be lavish or have your brand on it.
Launch Flash Sales and Limited-Time Offers
Nothing motivates customers like urgency. Utilize the element of time pressure by launching flash sales and limited time offers. Consider offering discounted prices, free shipping, or bundle deals for a short period leading up to Christmas Day. Highlight the time sensitivity of these offers in your marketing materials to create a sense of urgency and drive immediate action.
Collaborate with Micro Influencers
Team up with smaller social media influencers or bloggers who align with your brand values and target audience. While large influencers charge quite a bundle - smaller voices with less than 2000 followers will usually be happy to work for free products and will produce good looking content on the fly. If you cull together a number of these you can get the same reach as you would a larger talent, but without the cost. Look for engagement on individual posts as a barometer rather than strict follow counts.
Participate in Local Holiday Events
Engage with local communities by participating in holiday events and markets. This is especially key if your brand is available in smaller boutiques and stores. Set up a booth or sponsor a local event to enhance your brand visibility. While it may seem too late, most small local events can be entered into and pulled together quickly, especially if you work with a local retailer. Decorate your space with festive decorations and offer special promotions or giveaways exclusively for event attendees. This strategy allows you to connect with potential customers face-to-face, leave a lasting impression, and drive people to your customer’s store.
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