I know, I know, it’s summer. Nobody wants to be thinking about the C word just yet. But the Christmas period can be one of the busiest for network marketers, and the best way to make it a huge success is to make sure you are fully prepared.
“Today’s preparation determines tomorrow’s achievement.”
How many people do you know that start their Christmas shopping early in the year? I know I see a lot of posts on social media where people are talking about having finished theirs by the end of October. So, it’s important that you don’t miss these early birds with your holiday marketing efforts.
Are you ready to prepare for the C word?
Making a Plan
The first thing you need to do is put together a to-do list – who doesn’t love lists? This is going to give you an overview of all the ideas you have and the ways that you’ll implement them.
Start off with the deals you will offer, or packages and bundles you can put together. Will you go the extra mile and offer a gift-wrapping service or similar? Write down everything you can think of. Of course, you might not use all of your ideas, but your list will serve as a great starting point.
Gift Packages
Think about the type of people you usually sell your products to, and others that you think will love what you have to offer. There are two main ways to put together gift packages: you can bundle together several products and offer a slight discount for buying the entire package, or you can have customers provide a budget and put together a bespoke package.
These are both great options and I recommend offering both to begin with. You might find that one way works better than the other and this will help you to really zone in on your ideal holiday marketing strategy.
Special Deals
Before you decide on any deals, you should look carefully at your profit margin for each product. The last thing you want to do is put yourself out of pocket.
When I used to run a nightclub, I decided on drinks offer based on how well individual products sold. I would offer deals such as 2 for £XX on the drinks that already sold well, to boost the sales even more. For the products that didn’t sell so well, I would offer a bigger discount to get people interested. These are both strategies that work well in any business.
Think about the types of deals you’re enticed by. Often, when walking down any high street, you’ll see big, red signs stating XX% off. Percentages work well to help people see that they’re getting a great deal. You will also likely be aware of the 3 for 2 offers that many places run, especially in the run up to Christmas.
Have a play around with different strategies, to see what appeals most to your audience.
Marketing
The first thing you may notice a lot of businesses do is to add some festive flair to their branding. Something simple and subtle, such as a Santa hat on your logo, can catch people’s attention. You can also update your website and social media accounts to give a more festive appearance.
Be sure to focus on adding value to your audience’s lives, but put a festive spin on it. For example, you could write a blog post on fashion ideas for a Christmas party, or provide tips on how to stay healthy during the holiday period.
Here are some more ideas for your holiday marketing:
- 12 Days of Christmas – email series, blog series, offers etc.
- Use creative headings for emails and advertisements – puns work particularly well
- Highlight your special offers and gift packages
- Use countdowns to create a sense of urgency
- Post festive content on Pinterest by the end of September – allow it time to work into the smart feed
- Reward your current and past customers with exclusive deals
- Support a charity
- Collaborate with other business owners
- Create a Christmas-themed contest
- Create and promote gift cards
A Little Something Extra
I can’t be the only who’s noticed that less and less people are sending Christmas cards every year. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It means that, when you send out cards, they’re more likely to be noticed and remembered.
Put a little something extra in your cards this year. Include a sample with each card, as an added gift. People will take notice of something other than writing in their card and, who knows, you might even get a new customer for the new year.
What do you do to prepare for the madness that Christmas brings? I’d love to hear your ideas.
