The season of golden-brown pies, wrapped gifts, and twinkling lights might seem far off, but in the world of retail, it’s never too early to start planning for holiday sales. Whether you’re launching new products or looking to boost sales, now is the perfect time to start building excitement for what’s to come. If you’re ready to get ahead of the curve to make the most of the holiday rush, check out the tips below to set yourself up for a festive and successful shopping season.
1. Collect Shopper Contact Details For Holiday Promos
Now is the time to grow and strengthen your contact list. Emails, phone numbers, and addresses give you a direct line to your target customers when you’re rolling out must-have holiday promotions and special events.
Start by collecting shopper details at checkout. This time is a prime opportunity to get their info without adding extra steps. Encouraging website visitors to sign up for promotional emails or texts is another great way to grow your list of interested customers.
Another effective strategy is to grab shoppers’ attention with enticing offers in exchange for their contact information. You might, for example, offer free shipping, a sneak peek at upcoming holiday deals, or exclusive discounts if they opt in for marketing emails. With this approach, consumers get a taste of what’s to come, and you build a list of eager shoppers ready for your holiday sales.
Creating a strong holiday season email marketing campaign
You have your customers’ contact info. Now’s your chance to engage customers directly and keep your brand top of mind during the busy holiday season.
- Build excitement with event announcements. Craft a series of emails that generate anticipation for the upcoming holiday shopping season. For instance, you might send out a “Save the Date” email to announce upcoming holiday events or pop-ups. Make sure to include all the essential details, like date, time, location, and any special highlights. A well-timed reminder keeps your event on shoppers’ radars and boosts attendance when your event date arrives.
- Tease exclusive promotions. Another way to engage your audience is to entice them with a glimpse of exclusive holiday promotions or limited-time offers. For example, you might send out an email showcasing a sneak peek of holiday deals or offering early access to special discounts for subscribers. This creates a sense of exclusivity and encourages shoppers to act quickly before a deal expires.
- Send festive newsletters. Consider sending out a series of holiday-themed newsletters throughout the season. Use these emails to share tips, highlight popular products, or offer behind-the-scenes looks at your holiday preparations. This engaging content maintains interest in your shop and drives more traffic to your store or website.
2. Build A Loyalty Program Now
Seven out of 10 customers are more likely to shop with a retailer that offers a loyalty program. It takes some planning to create a well-structured rewards program that encourages repeat business and turns satisfied customers into brand advocates. Getting a head start ensures you’re ready to capitalize on the holiday season and maximize your program’s impact.
Types of loyalty programs
- Point programs. In point-based programs, customers earn points for every purchase they make and later redeem them for discounts, products, or other rewards. This system focuses on building customer loyalty by encouraging repeat purchases, since the more points customers accumulate, the more rewards they earn. For example, a customer might earn one point for every dollar spent and then redeem 100 points for a $10 discount on their next purchase.
- Tiered rewards. These rewards offer different levels of benefits based on the amount of money customers spend or the number of purchases they make. Customers move up through tiers, such as Bronze, Silver, and Gold, with each level providing increasing rewards and perks. Tiered programs motivate customers to spend more to achieve higher tiers and enjoy better benefits, such as exclusive discounts or gifts.
- Cash-back programs. With a cash-back program, you give customers a percentage of their purchase amount back in the form of cash or store credit. For example, a program might offer 5% cash back on all purchases, which customers can redeem on future transactions. This straightforward approach appeals to customers who prefer tangible rewards they can use directly in their next purchase.
- Punch cards. This program gives customers a stamp for each purchase or item they buy. After a certain number of punches, customers earn a reward, such as a free item or a discount. A coffee shop, for instance, might offer a free coffee after 10 punches. This type of program is easy to implement and track, and makes loyal customers feel valued.
Other ways to boost customer loyalty
- Referral programs. Tap into the power of word-of-mouth marketing and reward customers who send others to your business. Offer incentives like bonus points or discounts for successful referrals. It’s a double win — your loyal customers feel appreciated for spreading the word, and you gain new customers who are likely to become loyal themselves.
- Gamification. Adding a fun, competitive element to your customer loyalty programs increases engagement and excitement. Think about incorporating challenges, badges, or leaderboards to encourage participation and more spending. For example, create a holiday-themed spin-to-win wheel where customers earn a spin for every purchase they make or when they reach certain spending milestones. Discount codes, free gift cards, exclusive holiday items, or additional loyalty points make for great prizes.
- Enhancing your existing program. If you already have a loyalty program in place, the holiday season is a great time to sweeten the deal. Consider offering additional discounts, exclusive promotions, or a free gift with select purchases. These enhancements make your existing program even more appealing and motivate your customers to take advantage of the special offers.
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3. Ask Shoppers What They Want
The better you understand what your customers want, the easier it is to offer the products, deals, and experiences that excite them during the holiday season. After a customer makes a purchase, shoot them a quick short survey via email asking about their holiday shopping habits. What products are they most interested in during the holidays? When do they typically start their holiday shopping?
Use social media polls or toss a few questions into your email newsletters to gather even more input. Consider adding a feedback form to your website so customers can share their thoughts whenever they like. Taking the time to gather feedback now means you’ll be ready to deliver exactly what your customers are looking for when the holiday rush begins.
4. Catch Shoppers’ Attention With Engaging Social Media Posts
Gauge interest with social media polls
The time leading up to the holiday season is ideal for ramping up your social media efforts and building excitement around your brand and products. Social media polls are a great way to engage your audience while learning more about their preferences. Create polls that ask followers what products they’re most excited about for the holidays.
For example, you might run a poll asking whether customers are more interested in holiday-themed gifts, winter apparel, or festive home décor. These polls encourage interactions with your audience while giving you helpful information about the products that will resonate most with shoppers throughout the season.
Preview holiday product releases
Building excitement is key during the holidays, whether it’s sharing upcoming Black Friday sales or a behind-the-scenes look at a new product. You could drum up anticipation by posting a series of images or short videos that reveal just enough to spark curiosity, such as a blurred image with a caption like, “Something special is coming — Stay tuned!” This keeps your audience engaged and eager to see more, making them more likely to return when you officially release the products.
Get creative with social selling
Reach customers where they are through social selling. Start by posting regularly about your holiday offerings, and create posts that highlight customer favorites. Make it a point to promptly respond to comments and questions so you maintain a strong connection with your audience.
Influencer partnerships are also a pillar of a strong social selling strategy. Ask influencers to share their own experiences with your products, host giveaways, or provide exclusive discount codes to their followers. Tagging influencers in your posts and collaborating on content helps you tap into their established networks and draw new customers to your brand.
Most importantly, take advantage of the tools offered by platforms like TikTok and Instagram to sell products directly to followers. Social selling tools help you manage engagement, ads, analytics for growth, and more.
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5. Inspire Shoppers With Gift Guides
Well-crafted guides make your products stand out and inspire shoppers as they search for the ideal presents for their loved ones. Keep these tips in mind while putting together your gift guide.
- Rely on available data. Use past sales data and customer feedback to inform your gift guide content. For example, if your data shows that eco-friendly products were popular last year, you might feature a selection of sustainable gifts in your guide. You should also consider feedback from customer surveys to find out what items people are excited about right now.
- Create categories for everyone. Structure your gift guide into clear categories so shoppers gravitate to the products their family and friends will love. Budget, personality, and interests are all key factors to consider when organizing your product categories. For example, you might create sections like “Gifts Under $100,” “Top Picks for Parents,” or “Must-Have Gadgets for Tech Lovers.”
- Give trending items the spotlight. Call attention to what’s new and exciting for the holiday season. Write engaging descriptions that highlight what makes these items special. Whether it’s their unique design, limited availability, or exceptional performance, let your customers know why these products are worth checking out. Use quality images that present the products in their best light. You might also include customer testimonials alongside featured items to highlight their real-world benefits.
- Add a sprinkle of personalization. Tailor your gift guide to make it feel unique and relevant to each shopper. Consider creating a quiz that customers can take to receive personalized product recommendations based on their responses. This interactive approach helps shoppers more easily find the perfect gifts. Other ideas for adding personalization include featuring a “Staff Picks” section that highlights your employees’ favorite products or offering themed guides, such as “Top Gifts for Foodies.”
6. Expand Your Sales Channels
Relying on one method of selling limits your audience reach and sales potential. On the other hand, multichannel selling diversifies where and how you sell your products attracts a broader audience and boosts your holiday sales. Let’s dive into a few effective channels that will help you achieve these results.
Social shopping
Social shopping is great for engaging with your audience, but it’s also highly effective for driving conversions and increasing sales. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook allow you to tag products directly in your images and videos. This means that when a user sees a post featuring your product, they’ll click on it and go straight to your online store to make a purchase.
You should also use these platforms to host live shopping events which are an interactive way to showcase your products in real time. Demonstrate product features, answer questions, and offer exclusive discounts to viewers while you interact with them and give them an engaging personality to associate with your brand.
E-commerce
About 65 percent of shoppers plan to increase their online shopping during the holiday season, so your e-commerce store needs to be ready for the surge. Start by updating your homepage with seasonal banners, spotlighting your holiday deals, and putting your gift guides front and center.
This tactic gives customers an immediate feel for your holiday offerings and makes it easy for them to find what they’re looking for. Consider enhancing your site’s search function to make it easy for holiday shoppers to locate the products they want.
Don’t forget to review your checkout process. A confusing or complicated checkout leads to abandoned carts, so keep it simple and straightforward. Offer multiple payment options, and consider adding incentives like free shipping to reward customers who complete purchases.
Pop-up shops
Pop-up shops are a creative and immersive way to connect with customers during the holiday season. These shops are temporary, which adds an element of exclusivity and urgency that attracts shoppers who are eager to find special gifts.
Pop-up shops give you the chance to connect with customers face-to-face, something that’s especially valuable when consumers do much of their shopping online. Here, offer personalized shopping assistance and even host special events like holiday-themed workshops or product demonstrations.
From high-traffic shopping districts to local holiday markets or even within larger retail stores, there are several places to set up your shop. The key is choosing a location that aligns with your target audience and offers the potential for lots of foot traffic.
Setting Up For A Stellar Shopping Season
The key to a prosperous holiday season lies in thoughtful preparation. Starting early means you build a solid contact list, create buzz with targeted email campaigns, and optimize your sales channels to keep customers coming back for more. Through careful planning and engaging marketing tactics, you’ll be ready to turn holiday excitement into standout sales and make the season memorable for you and your customers.
