Businesses large and small put a lot of stock in the holiday shopping season. Whether you sell a product that makes a perfect gift or you offer a service that sets up clients for success in the new year, this can really be a time to shine.

But … this also means you’re vying for space in customers’ inboxes and space in clients’ brains as they sort through the overload of holiday content and advertisements. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get on board with holiday marketing. It just means you need to be thoughtful and strategic about your message, your offer, and your website. 

Here are 3 tips to holiday marketing success: 

1. Keep it clear

You might be tempted to go all cute and clever this holiday season. Resist the urge. Your No. 1 priority is to be clear. As a business, you need to clearly explain how you solve someone’s problem, your solution to that problem (your offer), and how their life will be better after using your product or service. 

Remember, you may be reaching a lot of new customers this time of year. If they aren’t familiar with your business, don’t confuse them with insider jargon and cutesy catch phrases. 

Spend some time thinking about the problem you solve for your customers and clients. Maybe they want to give their husband a gift that will leave him speechless. Maybe they need business coaching to set them up for success in the new year. Don’t gloss over the problem. When you neglect talking about the problem you solve for people, it makes it harder to introduce your business as the solution to that problem. 

In 2022, this concept of solving a problem for your customers is so critical. All you have to do is go to the grocery store, stop at the gas station or, well, buy anything, to see how prices have gone up this year. And with talk of a recession in 2023, consumers will likely be more conservative in their end-of-year spending. What can you do? Help them solve a problem. Talk about the problem and how you solve it. Make it easy for them to buy.

2. Have an email strategy

Yes, social media is important. In fact, it might be one of the primary ways people find your business (especially if you’re selling a product like clothing, jewelry or home/office items). Devote time and attention to social media, but don’t neglect your email list. 

You should be focused on growing your email list all year long – not just at the holiday season. If emails aren’t part of your marketing strategy, it’s time to add them. Create a lead generator – a valuable resource you can give away in exchange for someone’s email address. Collect emails at trade shows or when you offer live/virtual webinars or workshops. 

Don’t rely solely on social media to market to existing and potential customers. You don’t own Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or LinkedIn. They could shut down tomorrow and then you’d be stuck. Collect email addresses so you can continue to market to people, regardless of what happens in the social media world. 

When it comes to creating emails, remember to: 

• Be consistent. Send emails regularly – once a week is great, and monthly is a good minimum. 
• Keep your emails short. Remember, a lot of people read emails on their phone so don’t make them scroll for days. 
• Offer value. Not every email needs to be a “buy now” sales pitch. Many of your emails should be valuable content – tips, resources, checklists – that people will truly want to read. When you give people the really good stuff, they’ll come back for more.
  

3. Review your website

You’ll likely be sending a lot of traffic to your website this time of year so it’s important your site reflects your clear messaging. Consumers will be confused if they get one message in your social media posts or emails and something totally different on your website. 

Also, make sure your site has a clear, direct call to action. What should people do when they visit your site? Buy now. Shop our catalog. Schedule an appointment. Give potential customers one clear call to action. Don’t make them work hard to give you money. 

Clarity + Consistency = Success

This is the time of year to make sure your marketing is in tip-top shape. But don’t forget about marketing the rest of the year. Don’t just show up in people’s inboxes and in their social media feeds in November and December. Have a marketing strategy for the entire year. 

The No. 1 element of good marketing is clarity. And I’d argue that No. 2 is consistency. When you share a clear marketing message consistently, you have a truly winning formula. 

Are you struggling to craft a clear message that will cut through the noise this holiday season? Book a one-hour marketing strategy session and let’s brainstorm ways to boost your year-end sales!