10 Unique Holiday Promotions for Small Businesses

There are a few occasions throughout the year when consumers are prepared to spend more money than they usually would. Before popular holidays, shoppers are looking out for the best deals and unique customer experiences.

By launching creative holiday promotions, retailers can capitalize on this increase in demand and promote impulse buys.

10 Holiday Promotion Ideas

Holidays give retailers the opportunity to encourage their customers about making purchases. To boost sales during the holiday season, businesses should consider using these creative promotion ideas-

1. Create Holiday Content

The holiday season is a tricky time of the year to acquire new customers, as thousands of retailers are also launching special promotions. Businesses need to grab consumers' attention by providing creative content across all sales channels.

Retailers should consider-

• Launching a holiday-themed website page for the online store
  
• Decorating the store-front
  
• Launching interactive games on their mobile apps and website
  
• Re-designing signage and incorporating holiday language

2. Develop Creative Promotion Campaigns

The holiday season is the time of year when consumers are ready to spend. However, many retailers offer steep discounts to attract new customers. Therefore, businesses must also launch creative holiday promotions to gain a competitive edge.

There are several interactive and creative elements that marketers can incorporate into their campaigns, including-

• Holiday gift sets
  
• Free shipping on holiday exclusives
  
• Free gift wrapping over a certain amount
  
• Holiday games

4. Donate to Charities and Offer Incentives

Many organizations promote giving during the holiday seasons by donating to charities and giving customers small gift certificates. For example, Black Friday shoppers can receive an exclusive coupon that expires at the end of December to promote more Christmas shopping.

By choosing a charity to donate to every holiday season, retailers can raise additional donations and build a customer base of like-minded people.

5. Launch Email Campaigns

Email marketing has become the most effective marketing tool, as it directly connects a business to individual customers and enables retailers to offer exclusive deals.

Marketing teams can segment their customers based on demographics, interests, and buying patterns to send targeted promotions. For example, retailers can focus on-

• Purchase histories to send product recommendations
  
• The AOV to send items that are in a specific price range
  
• Regions and time zones to send emails at an appropriate time
  
• Browsing patterns to send discounts on products that shoppers have been researching

6. Host Holiday Events

Many retailers host in-store and online holiday events to draw in more traffic. For example, department stores often have an area where children can meet and take pictures with Santa.

Online stores have found success in hosting Christmas sales exclusive to loyal members on the email list. Some companies use a variation of this method for users that follow their Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook accounts.

Being a part of an exclusive group and receiving special discounts often attracts more customers than traditional marketing strategies.

7. Offer Holiday Exclusives on Mobile Apps

Retailers with their own mobile applications have the unique advantage of sending promotions directly to the customers' phones.

With push notifications, users are notified immediately, whereas emails don't always send alerts. Therefore, companies should consider launching their own mobile apps to send exclusive holiday deals directly to the customer.

8. Offer Seasonal Products

Traditional retailers and e-commerce companies should designate a section of their store to holiday sales for convenient Christmas shopping. Many businesses have a specific tab or area where they rotate seasonal merchandise, such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations.

This makes it much easier for customers to find holiday exclusives and the marketing team to share seasonal links on the website and social media.

9. Run a Massive Sale

Most businesses have jumped on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday bandwagon. However, retailers must remember to advertise these promotions heavily and include tags on social media posts to alert customers.

Businesses can also launch a new e-commerce theme specifically for these two days to remind shoppers and increase engagement.

10. Promote Giveaways

Giveaways offer customers the opportunity to win free merchandise in exchange for engagement. This is also an amazing way for retailers to spread brand awareness and introduce themselves to new customers.

Some companies host giveaways in-store through raffles, via social media, or on their website. However, hosting giveaways online makes it more convenient for shoppers to join and increases website traffic.