Plan smarter with our practical festive marketing checklist. This quick guide is here to help you act strategically, respond to seasonal changes, and really make the most of this busy festive period. Happy Winterval!
Making the most of the season
The festive season is one of the busiest times of the year for small businesses, but it’s also one of the most competitive.
Customers are on the hunt for gifts, experiences, and deals, and their behaviour shifts dramatically during this time. To stand out and thrive, you need more than just holiday cheer—you need a strong, customer-focused marketing strategy.
A festive marketing checklist
1. Know your customers’ sesonal habits
Customer behaviour changes dramatically over November and December.
Unless your customers are the rare breed who has all their gifts bought and wrapped by September (we all know one!), they’re often short on time, looking for convenience, and searching for personalised experiences.
So first things first: review last year’s data to understand trends in what your customers bought, when they shopped, and how they engaged with your brand. Don’t guess, your data has all the fabulous insights you’ll need.
Action steps:
2. Craft a festive marketing plan
No, it’s not just about covering everything in glitter! As much as that would be fun. As always, planning is key to any successful marketing campaign.
Thnk about your customers’ timeline at this time of year. Map out your promotional calendar to align with key dates like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, postal deadlines for shipping, and last-minute shopping days.
Action steps:
3. Optimise for seasonal searches
SEO is always important, and never more so that during seasonal trends and changes in search behaviour.
Stressed-out, time-poor customers will turn to search engines for inspiration and solutions. Ensure your website and content are optimised to capture this seasonal traffic.
Action steps:
4. Create holiday-specific content
Just like this blog post! We know our clients are insanely busy at this time of year and are looking for a quick festive marketing checklist. So we made one.
Seasonal content helps you connect with your audience on a more personal level while demonstrating how your product or service is the answer to the problem they are facing. Whether that’s a secret Santa gift for someone you don’t know, a last minute emergency purchase that needs to arrive tomorrow, or some friendly expert digital marketing support.
Action steps:
5. Ramp up customer support
Stress levels rise running up to the end of the year as people put so many expectations on themselves. This sort of seasonal overwhelm means your customers will value exceptional service even more. Make sure your business is ready to handle an higher than average number of customer queries or concerns.
Action steps:
6. Make the most of social proof and positive reviews
Trust is everything when customers are making quick buying decisions. Don’t be shy, shout about your positive reviews and customer stories. Let the whole world know about all the great things people are saying about you. It could be the difference between 1,000 sales and no sales.
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7. Incentivise loyalty and repeat purchases
This should really be part of your baseline customer journey. But if the festive season is a source of new business for you, make sure you turn those 1 time festive shoppers into long-term customers with thoughtful incentives.
Action steps:
8. Prepare for post-holiday opportunities
Marketing is a constant cycle of activity and the festive season doesn’t end on December 25th. This is another chance for you to engage and build on the customer journey. Plan ahead for positive interactions with your customers during Boxing Day sales, returns, or exchanges.
Action steps:
All the bells, tin whistles, and tinsel
The festive season is a fantastic opportunity to really connect with your audience, boost sales, and set the tone for the year ahead. With a customer-focused strategy and a well-thought-out marketing plan, you can make December your best month yet. Best festive wishes to you!
Need help with your festive marketing strategy?
At Davison & Brain Digital, we specialise in helping small businesses shine.
If you need an expert pair of helping hands, get in touch. Together we can start crafting campaigns that deliver results this holiday season and beyond.
