| 3 Holiday Marketing Tips For Small Businesses

3 Holiday Marketing Tips For Small Businesses

3 Holiday Marketing Tips For Small Businesses

By Bobbie Anne Williams, Marketing Assistant

This year, small business owners and sales teams are shifting their focus to better accommodate online shopping.  As more people spend their time online, it would be beneficial to also integrate social media into your holiday marketing plan. As someone who has spent their career working with small businesses, I know that many of you hold multiple roles within your business. Below I’m going to give you 3 marketing tips that are going to help you build your social media presence, balance your time, and adjust to a digital holiday shopping season.

Make Time For Marketing

We hear it constantly, “I don’t have enough time for social media.” In a time where nearly 40% of holiday shopping in the U.S. is done online, social media needs to be part of your marketing plan. Our #1 suggestion to those beginning social media marketing is to PLAN AHEAD. A single day of planning accomplishes weeks of social media content. Here are the steps to take to maximize your time and remove the stress out of your social media marketing:

  1. Start by choosing a calendar or planning platform that best fits your team, such as Basecamp2, Asana, or a shared Google Calendar.
  2. Next, create a “skeleton” of placeholders throughout your calendar. This includes holidays, sales, events, or anything else that you need to post about. The Germono team likes to plan out 30 days ahead.
  3. Now it’s time to draft out and write your content, this is your biggest time saver. Within each placeholder, fill in the verbiage and visuals you want to use for that post.  Or, if it’s easier…fill in the verbiage and work on all the verbiage until you’re done.  Then, go in and insert videos/images.
  4. Once you have everything prepped, schedule your content! We suggest scheduling directly within the platform you are posting to – Facebook Creator Studio, Tweetdeck, etc.

Choose 1-2 days a month to follow these steps to free up more time for engagement and other tasks!

Build Brand Awareness

Brand awareness is the extent to which consumers are familiar with the distinctive qualities of a particular brand of goods or services, and it’s something that many small businesses struggle with. So how can you achieve brand awareness? Here are a few suggestions to try:

  • Influencer marketing. This is a great strategy to zero in and become more connected to niche communities inside your industry.
  • Referral programs. This classic word-of-mouth strategy can be reached in a variety of ways to fit your business. Use rewards cards, collaborate with another business, or execute through email.
  • Be a guest. As the owner, you are the strongest voice of the business. Reach out to local blogs, podcasts, editors and YouTube channels to be featured as a guest to introduce your brand to a new audience.
  • And of course, merchandise! Having your unique colors and logos on wearable, usable items creates brand recognition and drives home the personality you’ve crafted for your brand.

 

Add A Personal Touch

This year RIS (Retail Info System) predicts online sales will increase by about 25% for the 2020 holiday season.  This means less foot traffic and face-to-face interaction with customers, but that doesn’t mean that their experience can’t be personal.

To help build a relationship with your online customers, we recommend revisiting a traditional marketing tip: adding a personal touch. This is where small businesses have an advantage!  Including a handwritten “thank you” note or adding complimentary gift wrap option might not be an option for corporate businesses, but taking a few minutes to craft a personal message is the perfect opportunity to personally show customers your appreciation for their business. These small gestures can elevate a first time shopper’s experience and keep you top of mind when your product or service is needed again.

If you need assistance with learning how to schedule your social media marketing, building your small brand, or finding the best personal touch for your business, one-on-one coaching sessions are available. Email bobbieanne94@gmail.com. Wishing you a successful holiday season!

Bobbie Anne Williams
BobbieAnne@Germono.com