Yes it’s busy!
Christmas is always a busy time of the year.
It’s getting colder. Family start to show up. Shopping and baking and decorating.
All these things add to the long list we already have.
So, now you are thinking about adding to that list. Some type of holiday marketing strategy for your business. Everyone is spending money, so why not get your share.
Is it too late? So close to Christmas, do I have time to do any type of marketing.
I believe there is always time for marketing. And if done right, what you do today, and in these days leading up to Christmas will pay off throughout next year and even further.
First, make it easy. Now is not the time to start an in depth marketing campaign.
Second, make it targeted. Choose something that will work with your highest potential prospects.
Third, make it personal. At this time of year you want to connect directly to your clients and prospects.
Finally, tie it to future marketing. What you do today and in these days before Christmas should be connected to the marketing campaigns for the new year.
So here are a few suggestions that may work for you.
Direct contact with a personal message.
This may be a little bit of work, but it can pay off huge.
There are a number of ways you can do this. You could pick up the phone, send out an email, or connect via social media. You could even do it with Christmas Cards if done early enough.
I like to keep it short and sweet. I usually draft up a template that includes a sweet product offer. Possibly something related to the holiday season.
Then for each person I send it to or talk to, I customize the message to personalize it. Add in something about them, your relationship, or some other personal item to let them know you are thinking about them exclusively.
This works best with your closest prospects. The people you do already have a relationship with.
It’s not about huge numbers, more about making a connection, that hopefully will result in a sale.
Holiday Event
Event marketing is always a win/win. People love coming to a good event. And it seems to always drive new sales.
My advice is to keep it fun, simple and low cost.
You can do a lunch at a local restaurant. Or an early evening event with appetizers.
Include a presentation if your product is suited for it. Or simply have some fun activity for people to do, again try to relate it to your business in some way.
Contest
Creating a unique contest always seems to drum up new business. Make it fun, again keep the costs in check, and have it tied to your business.
Contests are a great way to attract new people to your business. But they can also be used for re-connecting with old clients.
I always suggest that many smaller prizes are better than a single big prize.
The holidays can be a great time to market your business, if done correctly. And it will keep business from slowing down over this time of year. It will also set you up for a great start for the new year. Whatever marketing strategy you decide upon, always include ways to gather contact information and keep your CRM system up to date with the latest information on your clients.
