5 Holiday Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

Well, the holiday season is here. People are going to buy like never before and sellers are going to sell like never before. For small businesses, it is smart to “catch the bug” of the holiday season and to make the most out of it. Above all else, you must see the holiday as a time of great opportunity. Many people expect to come face to face with marketing messages this time of the year. You must seize the opportunity to showcase and re-position your brand. These here 5 tips will help you out.

#1. Respect Differences in Beliefs. The world has become a very complex and sensitive place to live in. You must factor in that in your holiday sales campaigns. Don’t assume that everyone celebrates Xmas because in reality not everybody does and at least not with the same intensity and enthusiasm. For your campaigns to be effective, you must show respect for the beliefs, traditions and customs of others.

#2. Mark What Works and What Doesn’t. As a marketer, all you want always are good results from your efforts. Bearing in mind that your holiday marketing campaigns won’t always resonate, it pays to try a new angle each time until you find something which sticks. It is what sticks you should maximize your storyline on this season for optimal results.

#3. Take Your Brand Where the People Are. This is just natural. You must put your brand before your customers wherever they may be in the world. As with all marketing campaigns, you must make sure you’re using the right outlet for your message. It is the right outlet which gets the message to the right people you are targeting. For you to be effective therefore, it pays to know where your customers are “living,” in a digital sense. That is where you must put your brand before them.

#4. Don’t Make Unrealistic Assumptions. Christmas carols may be sweet music to the ears of many people but you can’t assume that all your customers delight upon hearing Christmas greetings. That is why it pays to be sensitive to the beliefs of others. For many, Xmas is no celebrations season so, you can’t force your celebration down their throats. By understanding what your business is, what you want to present and how your audience feels, that is the only effective way to make your campaign resonate well with your customers in this season.

#5. Watch Your Promotion Expenses. It is true that word-of-mouth marketing really escalates around holiday seasons. This is because holidays naturally bring many people together seasonally. When people are together on such special occasions, what do they do? Well, they simply talk and talk about any and everything under the sun. Inevitably, such talks come around to trends, products and bargain deals. These word-of-mouth banters are usually cheaper and more reliable to promote products than expensive ad campaigns which are very common during holiday seasons. Spending too much money on campaign ads during holiday seasons is usually not a very smart marketing strategy.

4 Digital Trends Your Small Business Must Embrace

The trends are on and reports from the field indicate that it pays really well for small business owners to join the train of trends. Even though there is hard evidence to support the fact that many small businesses are increasingly using digital platforms to manage their jobs, take care of quotes, invoices and scheduling, it is still common to see many others still doing things the old way. Small business owners who currently implement the right strategies based on a solid understanding of digital trends and knowledge of digital platforms are bound to outperform others in the new dispensation. These here are 4 popular digital trends which tend to drive that process.

#1.  Digital Payments: PayPal and similar online payment platforms are increasingly taking the lead in helping small businesses with online payments. These platforms are driven by relevant mobile apps, mobile adapters and portable point-of-sale systems. The payment systems are fast, reliable, adaptable and very good for small businesses. The fees they charge are minimal too.

#2. Online Marketing: Fewer and fewer small business owners are still relying on traditional forms of media, like newspapers and TV, to get their information to customers and potential customers. That is because the so-called legacy marketing techniques, like placing an advertisement in the newspapers, radio and TV are becoming increasingly less effective. The new trend is to market online which has a larger reach, faster, more effective and relatively cheaper than legacy methods. With the power of reliable Search Engines like Google, you have the option of a highly cost-effective way to get in front of your customers where they are looking for business worldwide 24/7.

#3. Digital Management: Many small business owners are currently moving away from traditional methods of making bookings on pieces of paper, or giving out handwritten receipts and invoices. The new trend is that many are increasingly using digital platforms to manage their jobs, take care of quotes, invoices and scheduling, for more efficiency and reliability. With the right management technology like simPRO and Tradify, your small business can benefit immensely from current trends of digital management technology.

#4. Digital Messaging: This trend is catching on real fast because of the ease of use, cost-effectiveness, popularity, very wide reach and confidentiality. The advent of Social Media has become a real icing on the cake of digital messaging. With messaging apps on the rise as a form of communication between family, friends and coworkers, many more small businesses are increasingly benefiting from messaging on Social Media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and many others. This trend is bound to continue into the foreseeable future and small businesses can continue to leverage easily on these messaging platforms to provide value and exceptional customer support.