With December around the corner it's time to whip out your warm cozy wear, pour a cup of hot chocolate and sit by the fire. December is a month that is about family, friends, food, and joy. It’s also crunch time for digital marketers to hit their Q4 numbers, especially in the ecommerce realm. With some strong and sound marketing strategy and the right promotion, your December can be a breeze and you can spend more time focusing on what the month of December is really about.
In today’s blog we will be going over some of the top tips for marketing in December, from joining in on the holiday spirit, to promotion ideas and marketing efforts.
Getting Involved Around the December Holidays
Free Shipping Day
Everyone loves free shipping day. Most people hate shipping fees and given the option of the two, free is a clear winner. If you are an ecommerce business you should join in on Free Shipping Day which is December 14th. Promoting this on your social media and website a couple days before and, of course on the 14th, will help you bring in more traffic and more sales. Make sure that you use the hashtag #FreeShippingDay in all of your social media posts.
Gingerbread House Decorating
December 12th is National Gingerbread House Day. It is a great day to post and get into the holiday spirit.
There are several ways you can participate in this national holiday. First, you can hold a gingerbread house decorating contest for your employees. Then once it is done you can post the houses on your social media accounts and have your audience vote on the winner or favorite.
Second, you can post a picture of a gingerbread house you have made, and ask your audience to post theirs and use specific hashtags for your site. Then choose a winner to receive a holiday gift from your company.
A third option, if you are in a healthcare or dentistry business, is to post alternatives for gingerbread houses. You can still get involved in this day with a healthier option for the body or teeth and it is a great way to promote your business.
Finally, if you are a bakery you can create your own gingerbread house kit for people to buy. That way more people can get involved in the holiday spirit
Just make sure you are using the hashtag #NationalGingerBreadDay.
Show Hanukkah Some Love Too
When businesses think of December, all marketing efforts and focus usually shift to Christmas and New Years. However, Hanukkah is just as important.
You should be making your holiday marketing inclusive. Adding Hanukkah to the mix with decorations and running special promotions for those who practice Hanukkah on your social pages can do the trick.
December Promotion Ideas
Holiday Cards
Receiving holiday mail from friends and family is one of the things most people look forward to during the holiday season. Gather your contact list and send out holiday or New Year’s cards from your business to your clients or customers. Showing thanks for acquiring your product or services is always a nice gesture. Send a card with your company's employees on the front and to make it a little more special include a promotional code as a thank you. This will help endorse brand loyalty as well as encourage them to visit your site to use the deal you offered them.
Holiday Giveaways on Instagram
As we all know Instagram giveaways are popular to use. They always drive a boost to your website and sales, so make sure to utilize it for the holidays. When doing your giveaway, make sure you know the goal you are trying to achieve. Is it more followers, awareness about a product, or just to spread the holiday spirit? From there you can figure out what the giveaway should look like for your business. Some giveaways ask people to tag others, some to like their social media pages and others request visitors to write about their experience with the company or product.
Toy Drive to Give Back
During the holidays it is always a great idea to give back to your community. Try hosting or participating in a toy drive to encourage your customers to do the same. If you are looking to participate in a toy drive as a business instead of hosting one yourself, make sure to take pictures and share them on social media. That way you are getting the word out about helping children during the holiday season.
More December Marketing Ideas
Update Your Google MY Business
Holiday shopping, especially in 2020, is going to be different. ENsure you have the proper business information in Google when potential customers begin to search for businesses like yours.
Be sure you:
Verify your contact information
Update your holiday hours
Upload photos of your seasonal products and services
Create offers and events to post
Gifts Guides
Creating a gift guide is a great way to provide a helpful service to your customers and community. People will be searching for holiday gifts online this year, especially since people need to stay at home this year compared to usual. So writing a blog post or posting on social media about gifts for moms, dads, kids, friends, or significant others would be great.
12 Days of Tips
Just like the 12 days of Christmas you can give a helpful tip or product promotion in a blog or social media post. You can show how creative your company is through 12 straight social media posts or blogs. Educating your audience with tips and being able to show off your skills is a great way to promote yourself. Each day you could also do a special promotion to spark interest in all the deals you have, making your audience more likely to come back to your site everyday to use the latest promotion.
Keep Up Your Email Marketing
People get busy during the holiday season and can get scatterbrained because of work and trying to get ready for the holidays. Reminding them about your business through email marketing is a great way to keep your business top of mind. Your emails can include promotions you are running during the holiday season. Or, instead you can let them know about holiday events in your community. Ensure people open up your email with a strong email subject line. Make sure it really stands out so people are intrigued enough to click on it.
December is usually a stressful time for business owners and marketers. Having a few creative ideas like the ones we listed can help you gain as much business exposure as possible and allow you to connect to your audience. This, in turn, can be the cornerstone to a successful new year.