23 Smart Tips to Rock Your Holiday Season Sales

How are you approaching your holiday season?  Excited at the potential or a little nervous?

Your business can have a great month if you put a little planning and creativity into what you offer!

Start with these tips for some out of the box brainstorming and see what you can come up with that’s a good fit for your business.

1. Create a holiday shopping guide

What are the top 10 or 15 or 25 gifts for your audience?  Entrepreneurs?  Moms?  Geeks?  Readers?  Cooks?

Put together a list, including items you can share as an affiliate, and your own items.

2. Add some holiday flair (email, social, etc)

Spice up your email newsletter, special promos, social media, and website with holiday flair – modify your graphics, “hire” an elf to write for you, have some fun!

3. Build a holiday landing page

Share your holiday specials on a landing page you can send traffic directly to.

4. Host a holiday party

If you’ve got a local location, host a holiday party for clients.  If you’re virtual, try a FB live or Twitter chat.

Giveaway prizes and gifts as part of the celebration.

5. Jump in now and get going

The closer we get to the holidays, the busier everyone’s email inbox and social media gets packed with promos and sales.  Start yours sooner!

6. Offer gift cards (or buy one get one, gift to a friend, etc)

Do you offer gift cards or gift certificates yet?  Add them before the holiday then let your clients and community know how easy it is to give a virtual gift (especially good for a last minute promotion if you instantly provide a printable gift certificate or image they can print off (or email) to the gift recipient).

7. Give a gift

What can you giveaway this season?  Create a special holiday gift opt-in page and share it.  On the thank you page, offer a Christmas (or other holiday) special offer.

8. Design an awesome gift package

Think about bundles or special offers you can create with your own items or others.

Can you collaborate with other small businesses or entrepreneurs to create a fun gift package?

9. Get creative – stocking stuffers, days of Christmas, advent gifts…

Write out a quick list of all the possible services and/or products you can offer.

Then get creative – which would work as “stocking stuffers”, gifts for family or friends, gifts for one’s business, 12 days of Christmas… what else?

10. Be a “last minute” hero

What can you offer as a “last minute” gift idea?  Something virtual?  Express overnight shipping?  Offer for your last minute local community?

11. Run a free shipping (or free gift with purchase) special offer

What will motivate shoppers to click buy?  How about free shipping?

Or, if you offer gifts items, add a gift with purchase that’s for the gift giver.

12. Find shopping and gift guides and reach out to see if they’ll include you

Keep an eye open (or actively search!) for holiday shopping and gift guides, reach out to the author/host and invite them to include you with an exclusive discount or special gift for their readers.

13. Advent calendar or 12 days of Christmas

How about a series of special offers, discounts and giveaways for your community?

Plan a 12 days of Christmas or advent countdown calendar.

14. Create and share holiday-themed content

Gift guides, holiday survival tips, how to buy the best X, holiday recovery… what are your audience’s biggest questions and challenges this time of year and how can you solve them?

Bonus points for adding a bit of holiday flair to your emails, social media, and website.

15. Offer holiday centered tutorials and how tos

What is your community creating this time of year and what tips or guides can you offer?

Videos, photos, and other how tos centered around holiday activities are a great way to get noticed and build your list.

16. Limited time sales, countdown offers, last minute gifts

Add some urgency or scarcity to your offers with limited numbers or limited time.  Add fun countdown timers set to what the last possible moment before gift-giving is…

Tip: Try www.sendtric.com for free countdown timers in emails, or just switch to MailerLite where marketing features like countdown timers are built in (plus it’s free up to 1,000 subscribers, and you’ll get a $20 credit when you sign up).

17. Coupon/special offer with purchase

How about a gift with purchase?  Or a coupon/gift certificate good on next order?

18. Create a special holiday coupon

How about SANTA01 or CHRISTMAS coupon codes?  Set it up in your system then share it with your community.

19. Explore promo partner opportunities!

If you’ve got an affiliate program, leverage it.  Run a special promotion or contest for your affiliates.  Reward them with a special gift for sharing you.

20. Invite clients/customers back

How about a “come back with a special deal” promotion series?

Now’s a great time to reach out to previous clients to check in and invite them back with a special deal.

21. Send a holiday card

How about holiday cards?  You can send them snail mail to your best clients, create an post a holiday card image on social media, or share one with your email list.  Include a special promo code or freebie gift.

22. Plan an after-the-holiday sale

Consider a special offer for after the big holidays, too.

23. Share your celebrations

Be a human.  Connect with your community.  Share the behind the scenes of how you celebrate in your office or home.

We all choose who we do business with based on more than price or features… do your potential clients know, like and trust you?  And do they know that you know, like and trust them?  Build that relationship by sharing!

Now… what holiday specials and promotions are you planning?  Leave a comment and share your ideas.