Depending on what industry you’re in, the holidays can be a very busy time for small businesses! Like all year round, the key is for more people in your own backyard to know about your products and services. During the holidays people are willing to buy, and they’re willing to buy a lot. Here are some ways you can make sure that they’re buying from you, and not from your competitors:
1. Write a helpful blog post
During the holidays not only are people busy and willing to buy, they’re also trying to solve problems—what gifts to buy, how to manage their time, how to manage holiday stress and health, how to decorate, how to be ready for winter wear and tear on houses and cars … the list is nearly endless. Think about the particular problems that your target audience has, and write a blog post to solve those problems. If you’re in the fitness industry, you could write a post about avoiding holiday weight gain. If you’re in catering, you could share your tips for a successful holiday party. This is a great opportunity to connect with your audience and earn their trust!
2. Show it with video
This is in the same vein as writing a blog post, but some people prefer to watch a video rather than read a blog. It’s easy to make a quick YouTube video to show how your product or service is helpful during the holidays. If you’re in the automotive industry, you could create a video that shows customers some easy things the can do to make sure their cars are ready for winter. Remember, give value, and solve problems!
3. Show it with pictures
You probably know from reading my blog that I love the power of pictures! If you have seasonal products, definitely take pictures of them and show them on social media. If your office or building is decorated for the holidays, be sure to share pictures of the office and staff! This shows your human side, and lets people see that there are real people there ready to help them.
4. Be festive on social media
Once you have your pictures, take the opportunity to update your cover photos on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. If you don’t have any festive pictures to use for updates, tools like Picmonkey let you add holiday accents to your existing cover photos. On Facebook you get an added bonus by doing this, because every time you update your cover photo, it’s posted to the newsfeed. Instant exposure!
5. Target your Facebook ads
You can run targeted ads on Facebook, which gives you a great advantage during the holidays, especially if you are running a special on specific products or services. A great example of this would be a company that installs Christmas lights running ads to homeowners in their specific business area.
Of course you should have a strong online presence all year long, but these tips will help you get an extra boost over the holidays. What are some of the problems you can solve for your prospective clients and customers during this time of the year? Let us know in the comments!