It’s that time of year again; the holiday season is just around the corner. It can be both an exciting and stressful time as a business owner! It’s the last chance for boosting end-of-year numbers and bringing new customers. If you’re looking around at the chaos of holiday promotions, these tips will help you get organized and make the most of this busy sales season.
Prepare Your Calendar
It’s easy to say it now, but preparing in advance will save you time once the holiday rush is upon us. You can create website pages for your holiday promotions months in advance and keep them hidden in drafts till you’re ready to launch your sales. Start writing social media posts directing people to your sale in advance too. Meta will let you schedule your Facebook and Instagram posts 30 days in advance, which means you don’t have to do anything with your social media except reply to comments and messages and the odd story from your day-to-day business!
Plan out your newsletters and advertising campaigns, and if you are an online retailer, ensure your website is fully optimized for online shopping. Don’t forget to order print materials ahead of time to beat the rush!
Pro Tip: Add a chat function to your website to provide quick customer support when your staff is too busy to pick up the phone or reply to social media inquiries.
Take Inventory
Black Friday is the biggest sale of the year and gift givers prepare their shopping lists specifically for this binge buy. Retailers should ensure they are well-stocked with customer favourites to avoid inventory shortages. Not a retailer? Consider your neighbours. Cafes and restaurants near busy shopping areas also have to stock up for when shoppers get tired and hungry!
Pro Tip: Inventory isn’t the only thing you’d like to have extra of; make sure you’re well staffed to accommodate the influx of people.
Make it Festive
Incorporate holiday-themed promotional material to your marketing plans and look at community engagement ideas your business can participate in. Whether you’re in service or retail, use festive decorations and music to bring out the holiday spirit.
Holiday offers are great for service-based businesses to drive sales, but you don’t have to lean into Black Friday Deals or Discounts. Consider your relationship with your customers, what their needs are, and what you can offer to support your more direct-selling clients through the season.
Retailer? Compile a gift guide including information about shipping, guaranteed delivery dates, pre-orders, and other promos like two-for-one or discount codes.
Season's Reflections
Once the holiday rush is over, make sure you review all aspects of your campaigns and check what worked and what didn’t. This is the perfect time to dig into the numbers and make an effective plan for next year’s holiday season.
Which social media posts performed best? What deal resulted in the most sales? What was the most opened email newsletter?Now, emulate those messages and once Labour Day rolls around next year, you’ll be ready to create a successful plan with less stress.
Pitching In
By starting early, you’ll avoid overwhelming both you and your team so you’ll actually be able to enjoy the season! Need help planning or executing a last-minute holiday plan? We can help. Get in touch to see how going Rogue can make the difference to your holiday bottom line!
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