Based on last year’s data, small businesses experienced a 26.6% increase in sales from online shopping over the holidays. So, what does that mean for your holiday marketing strategy? Small business owners should focus on their digital marketing strategy to increase brand engagement this holiday shopping season. To drive engagement and sales, BBB recommends revisiting your business strategy and consider implementing some of the following holiday marketing ideas:
Holiday marketing ideas to boost brand engagement
The holiday season offers small business owners a unique opportunity to connect with customers and increase brand awareness. Whether you’re planning an e-commerce site, social media campaign or holiday party, increasing your brand engagement can help your business grow.
Run a holiday-themed giveaway
Running a giveaway contest is a great way to generate brand engagement, especially during the holiday season. Giveaways incentivize customers to participate in your marketing efforts by offering them free products, discounts, or gift cards as a reward for engaging with your brand. They are also a great way to gauge interest in a product or service your business offers.
Create a customer appreciation campaign
Running a customer appreciation campaign is another effective way to generate brand engagement, as it gives you the chance to thank your customers and turn them into brand advocates. This tactic is especially beneficial during the holiday season when shoppers are looking to reward their favorite brands with their business. Customer appreciation campaigns are a great way to build trust and form lasting relationships with your customers.
Encourage user-generated content with a holiday-inspired hashtag
If you’re looking for a relatively cheap way to build brand awareness, encourage your audience to create and share photos or videos of themselves utilizing your products or services.
This type of user-generated content is a great way to spread brand awareness, and you can take it to the next level by creating a holiday-themed hashtag for your customers to use. This way, you can review all these posts in one place and have easy access to this content to use in your marketing campaigns. Don’t forget to encourage feedback from your customers, as this will again help you connect with them on a deeper level.
Participate in a holiday charity
Giving back to your community is a great way to generate brand awareness, and it will also improve your customer engagement. Community involvement also helps you gain brand advocates and develop better relationships with your customers. However, it is important to exercise caution when choosing a charity to partner with; use Give.org to help you find the perfect charity that matches your brand.
Collaborate with influencers in your niche
Influencers have a large social media audience and can sway their followers’ opinions and purchasing decisions. Collaborating with influencers is an excellent way to increase brand awareness and engagement, as they can introduce your products to their audience. Keep an open mind when looking for influencers to partner with; sometimes, a large following is not as important as a relevant one.
Boost engagement through gamification
If gamification is your thing, then you’re in luck; the holiday season makes this tactic even more appealing to consumers. For instance, you can create an interactive app that lets children create and send gift lists to their parents or interactive cards to their family and friends. This is a great way to encourage people to engage with your brand without pressuring them into a purchase. Scavenger hunts are also great ways to appeal to your customers and receive user-generated content that businesses can share on social media.
Run holiday-themed email remarketing campaigns
Email remarketing campaigns allow you to specifically market to previous customers to encourage them to make another purchase. You can use email remarketing campaigns to highlight holiday discounts and seasonal products and services you feel your customers may be interested in. You can also use this method to let your customers know about a booth you’ll have at a community event to encourage them to drop by.
Create a holiday-related checklist
Everybody needs a little help staying on track during the holiday season. So, why not create a fun, free downloadable holiday checklist for your customers? Be sure to keep the list short and simple, including how your business can assist the customer in accomplishing their holiday goals. Using this marketing tool will keep your brand at the front of the customer’s mind during the busy season and are easily shareable with friends and family.
Get more holiday marketing tips from BBB
The holiday season can be a hectic time for your brand, but it’s also a time of great opportunity. If you’re looking to increase customer engagement through your holiday marketing strategy, visit BBB.org/Business for more tips.
