The holidays are undoubtedly the busiest time of the year for most businesses. Everyone will either be out or online shopping for themselves, their loved ones, and more. There’s an argument to be made that companies don’t have to do that much to reap the benefits during the holiday rush.
Of course, that wouldn’t be very smart business. Any business owner worth their salt should know how to take advantage of great opportunities. The holidays aren’t just a time to boost sales. It’s also a time to market your brand and strengthen connections with customers, both new and old.
You don’t want to be the last option or the only option left because everywhere else is sold out. Whenever you can, it’s always better to be their first choice. Here are a few strategies to help your increase sales and customer engagement during the holidays:
External Strategies
1. Special Discounts and Promos for Loyal Customers
When customers feel like you value their business and appreciate what they’ve done for you, they’ll be more likely to keep coming back to you.
Giving them some incentive or a special deal can motivate them to shop more during the holidays. Special promotions and discounts don’t have to be limited to the holidays either. It doesn’t hurt to give your loyal customers something special from time to time.
2. Start a Holiday Contest
Running a holiday contest might be the easiest way to boost sales. You can do raffle contests, send out email invitations to win a special gift, or maybe even sell a special gift through your shop. You can give your customers a reason to engage with you more often, and they’ll be more likely to spread the word about your brand.
If you’re running a giveaway, it’s a great idea to ask customers to share the giveaway on social media. If you get your loyal customers to share the giveaway, it is a great way to get new customers to see the giveaway and increase brand awareness.
3. Share Your Holiday Strategy on Social Media
Though social media is a great way to connect and communicate with customers, some business owners feel unsure about how to use it for marketing. While there’s no need to bombard your social media feed with ads, it’s a great way to reach out to both new and old customers.
You can share any sales you’re offering, photos of unique holiday-themed products, or even the story behind your brand. Sharing your holiday strategy is a great way to show customers that you’re not just a business but a company with character.
4. Free Shipping on Orders Over a Certain Amount
Shipping can be a real pain point for consumers, so why not entice them with a free shipping deal on orders over a certain amount? Most companies offer free shipping deals in the holiday season, so it’s a great strategy to follow.
Customers like free shipping or any kind of free deal, and it’s a great way to show them that you appreciate their business. Like with specials, free shipping deals are usually limited, so customers will have to purchase fast before the offer expires.
5. Start a Hashtag or a Trend
If you’re not on social media, then maybe you’re not taking advantage of another marketing strategy. Hashtags are a great way to start a promotion, campaign, or get people talking. If you use a popular hashtag at the time, people will be more likely to share about your brand.
Hashtags could create a trending discussion and something you can be proud of. It’ll give you brand exposure that a paid ad would never be able to do for you.
6. Personalize Content
Picture this: you’re scrolling through a website and seeing an article with your name on it. How would you feel? You’d be interested, right? Well, it’s the same with your customers. Customers enjoy engaging more personally, and they appreciate when they feel like they’re being acknowledged.
Personalization is a powerful strategy because it makes the customer feel like their business matters and their opinion is essential. You don’t even need to go out of your way to personalize the experience. For example, you could send a customer a Christmas card with a bit of gift for the holidays.
You could also include a message about how much you appreciate their business over the year and include a coupon for something your company offers. Try sending a letter about any new products you’ve been working on, or maybe share some news about your holiday plans.
Internal Strategies
7. Incentivize Your Employees and Sales Reps
Ding dong, it’s the holidays. If you’re giving your employees a bonus or a holiday bonus, it’s an excellent way to keep them motivated and excited. The holiday season is always a rush, so you have to motivate your employees and make sure they’re feeling recharged. You don’t want them burning out or having a bad attitude — that’s sure to turn off customers.
If you don’t want to give them a bonus, it might be a good idea to offer them some extra time off or some sort of perk for doing a great job. The holidays are a busy time, but if your employees are happy and motivated, they’ll be able to handle all the orders and the rush.
8. Update Your Website
The holidays are the perfect time to update your website, especially if you haven’t done it in a while. You can revamp your site, create a new holiday look, or create a new landing page to drive more sales. The holidays are ideal for updating your site since they’ll help you attract more customers and spread the word about your brand.
It’s a great time to go over your blogger outreach efforts as well. Since more people will be checking out various products online, it’s an excellent time to reach out to bloggers. A holiday update is a great time to reach out to bloggers who might have missed you out in the past.
9. Make Sure All Departments are Aligned and Informed
While all these strategies can benefit your sales and customer engagement, they fall short if everyone does not coordinate them. You have to make sure all the departments are on the same page. Sales, customer support, and customer relations will all play a part in how your business performs over the holidays.
You have to make sure your employees, sales representatives, and customer support staff is all on the same page. You don’t want to run a contest and have sales representatives trying to offer alternative prizes. You won’t be creating the kind of experience your customers deserve.
Every department should know what’s happening, what’s expected of them, and how to work together to deliver a better customer experience. There’s no reason to create a divide between the departments this time of the year.
The Bottom Line
The holidays are a great time to boost sales, but that doesn’t mean you can get lazy. You still have to hustle more than the rest. Make plans and strategize to get more sales and improve customer engagement. It’s also a good idea to stay on top of what’s going on in your industry. Know what your competitors are doing and who is coming out of the woodworks.
If you’re looking for a way to improve your client experience, start with your service. With hundreds or even thousands of customers, you need a reliable team. CrewBloom is ready and equipped to provide expert and dependable sales representatives to ensure your brand is represented in the best way possible. We guarantee that our team of professionals works hard, smart, and fast!
