3 Ways To Ramp Up Your Holiday-Themed Advertising

As we pointed out in our last blog, November marks the unofficial beginning of the holiday shopping season. While the malls may not currently be as crowded as they’re going to be in a few weeks, there’s no question that the anticipation of increased foot traffic in retail stores all over Canada is on the rise. It’s imperative that you take steps to advertise your store’s upcoming holiday sales and events. There’s a lot of competition out there. How will you outdo them?

Here are three ways to ramp up your holiday-themed advertising:

1. Turn your store into holiday party central!

Is there a more joyous time of year than the holiday season? Undoubtedly, there will be a number of parties taking place over the course of the next two months. Why not throw a couple at your business location? There’s no question that an in-store event is a big time people-pleaser, especially during the holiday season. On Entrepreneur.com, Susan Gunelius suggests you take advantage of that.

“If you hold only an in-store event such as opening an hour early for ‘preferred customers’ on your email list or staying open late one night for a special ‘Holiday Celebration Sale,’ you still need to promote that event in advance or the turnout will be disappointing,” she warns, “Don’t forget to contact local charities prior to the holiday season to identify events your business could sponsor for a goodwill boost and some indirect promotion.”

2. Get in on the gift giving action.

This is definitely the time of year to incentivize your current customers. It is often said (and it’s true) that it is both more effective and cost-efficient to market to your current supporters than it is to try to attract new customers. This holiday shopping season, make sure that everyone who walks into your store leaves with a good reason to come back. On SeniorLivingMag.com, Tim Brown advises store owners to offer a variety of gifts to loyal customers.

“Depending on your sales strategies, it may be advantageous to give loyal customers discount coupons, organize customer surveys and reward respondents with freebies,” he writes, “Many small businesses will look to spread Christmas cheer this season by wearing Santa Claus hats, decking their halls with Christmas decorations and providing small gifts for patrons.”

3. Team up with other businesses.

It’s always a good idea to partner with non-competitors in order to find extra ways to promote your brand. But, during the busy holiday shopping season, partnering up is bound to get you noticed by a large number of consumers you would otherwise miss out on. Connect with a local business owner and ask if he/she would be willing to promote your business in exchange for you promoting his/hers.

“The holiday season is a perfect time to partner with other local businesses that offer complementary products and services to yours,” writes Gunelius, “You can offer joint promotions or co-host events. For example, a restaurant could partner with a local movie theatre to offer movie tickets with special reserved seating. Both businesses would promote the offer and both businesses would benefit from it.”

At Synergy Merchants, we’d be more than happy to help you afford your upcoming holiday advertising campaign. For information about our unique merchant cash advance program, please don’t hesitate to call Synergy Merchants at 1-877-718-2026 or email us at info@synergymerchants.com.