It’s the holiday sales season!
Shoppers flock online for gift ideas. According to Mashable, “65% of shoppers use social media to find the perfect gift…and two out of three shoppers bought a gift they found through social media.”
So what are the best ways to capitalize on seasonal sales with your business?
Whether you’re running a service-based business or selling products, here are a few tips to get you into the holiday sales spirit.
1) Learn from the Ghost of Christmas Past
Look at the metrics for Christmas sales from last year. What products were the best sellers? Which promotions created the biggest increase in sales? Which special offers were a total bomb?
Find out what worked and what didn’t so you can capitalize on it when planning this year’s promotions.
2) Make a Christmas Social Media Cover Image
Decorate your social media business pages with a specially designed cover image. It is the perfect place to advertise promotions and special holiday offers.
Be sure to create one for all of your social media accounts.
3) Use holiday hashtags
Twitter shoppers can use hashtags to find their next purchase. So take advantage of hashtags to be discovered.
Some popular hashtags include: #blackFriday, #DIY, #holidayssavings, #stockingstuffers, #holidays, #Christmas, #Hannukah, #Kwanzaa, #NewYears
4) Create social media graphics for promotions and offers
Everyone loves getting great deals when they shop for the holidays. Create festive graphics that promote special promotions that make shopping for the perfect item irresistible.
Offers may include:
• just one day,
• sales in limited quantities,
• buy one get one free,
• Special discounts or vacation coupons.
Consider running a “12 Days of Christmas” promotion with a special offer each day!
Canva makes it easy to create custom holiday social media graphics.
5) Increase sales with free shipping
Consider offering free shipping on holiday gifts. Create highly visible buttons or banners that promote it on your website.
Or you can increase the order size by offering free shipping on orders over a larger dollar amount, like $100.
Studies show that shipping costs are one of the biggest deterrents to making an online purchase, so this tactic could make a big profit for you.
6) Offer gift ideas
Holiday shopping can be frustrating when you don’t know what to get for the person who has everything. You’ll want to promote your best-selling gifts.
Make gift shopping easier by sharing gift suggestions like:
• 5 gifts for mom,
• 10 love gifts for grandparents,
• 5 gift ideas for tech-savvy teens, etc.
Then offer links to buy each of the items you mention on your blog and on social media.
Better yet, if you have a blog, write articles based on these topics and reference your products within the article with links to the purchase page.
7) Write reviews
If you offer one of the new trending products of the season, consider writing and posting a review about it on your blog. In this review you could mention your own offerings that would make a great accompaniment to a gift.
As an example, review the top three smartphone accessories for mom this Christmas and share photos of them wearing a red bow along with a side-by-side feature comparison. Then mention how your offers go great with these gift ideas and include links to shop.
You can also embed your Amazon affiliate link for those products
8) Suggest ideas for stocking stuffing
Help puzzled shoppers think by offering small item suggestions for everyone on your shopping list!
Write a blog post with the most popular articles of the season. Share daily stocking stuffing ideas on social media using hashtags like: #beststockingstuffers2016 #cheapstockingstuffers #stockingstuffersforwomen
9) Reward loyal customers
Offer to give a $100 gift card to a randomly selected customer who was caught posting a photo or video with your product on social media. Set up a campaign to use a special hash tag like #christmascountdown.
This can help your promotional campaigns go viral as customers share on their timeline and family/friends see your post.
10) Share the Christmas spirit
Connect with the holiday spirit in the hearts of your customers. Engage your customers by asking them what their favorite Christmas tradition is.
Get people to engage with your brand by asking them to share:
has. Your favorite family recipes from Thanksgiving or another holiday event.
b. What is her most loved Christmas song.
cons DIY Christmas Decoration Tips.
d. Easy gift wrapping tips.