Tips for Marketing Your Business This Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us. And it provides many unique opportunities for all different types of businesses to market to customers in new and unique ways. Whether you own an online business, a local store, or even a B2B company, there are ways you can promote your business throughout the coming months. Here are some ideas you can use to market your business this holiday season.

2016 Holiday Marketing Ideas Include Coupons With Purchases
The holiday season is a great time to garner some repeat business. And you can do that by including a coupon or special offer in each purchase so that customers can take advantage at a later date.

Cross-Promote With Other Businesses
You can also use a similar strategy to attract customers from other local businesses. Just exchange coupons or go in on a special offer and give those items to shoppers at each store.

Host a Thank You Dinner
If you have some really loyal customers or clients, you can say a special thank you at the holidays by taking them out to a lunch or dinner.

Partner With a Local Charity
You might also want to do some charity work during the holidays. If you have a local business, you can invite representatives from a local charity to collect money or share their message at your location for a day.

Donate Money to a Cause
Or you could simply choose to donate a portion of your profits throughout the holidays to a particular group or cause.

Invite Santa Claus
People love visiting Santa Claus around Christmas time. So you can invite him to your store or business to attract some families who are out shopping.

Exhibit at Holiday Shows
You can also get your products in front of more eyes by showcasing them at special shows or events throughout the holiday season.

Offer Gift Wrapping
Whether you sell products in a retail store or online, your customers are likely to want some of their purchases gift wrapped. So you can offer that as an extra service or even as a complementary add-on.

Publicize Your Returns Policy
When people purchase gifts, they want to know that they can be returned if by chance it doesn’t work out. So you can create a flyer for your store or display your policy prominently on your website so customers know what to expect.

Hand Out Hot Chocolate
For local businesses, handing out hot chocolate or other seasonal beverages can be a great way to spread some cheer and attract passersby.

Create a Fun Lights Display You can also show off your spirit by creating a festive lights display that people will go out of their way to visit.

Create Holiday Window Dislays to Attract Customers
Or you could use your store windows to create a festive environment that also showcases some of your popular holiday products.

Let Kids Decorate Cookies
You can also get the kids involved in the holiday festivities. Host a cookie decorating party or give them a similar activity they can do while their parents shop.

Have a Party
for Another Holiday Holiday parties are incredibly popular around Christmas. But you could make yours stand out by celebrating a different holiday, like Bake Cookies Day on December 18 or Bacon Day on December 30.

Send Early Cards
If you plan on sending out holiday cards to customers or clients, you can also make those stand out by sending them out early.

Contact Bloggers Who Make Gift Guides
If you have products that could make great gifts, you can get them in front of more potential buyers by getting in touch with bloggers and asking them to feature your items in their holiday gift guides.

Give Away Free Samples
For those businesses that sell food items or anything that customers might want to try out before buying, giving away free samples can be a good strategy to encourage more sales and get more people through the door. Have a Pampering Station Holiday shopping can be stressful. So if you want to create a great experience for stressed out shoppers, you could offer some kind of pampering activity, like massages or guided meditation.

Hold a 12 Days of Christmas Sale
To keep people shopping throughout the holiday season, you can host a special sale where people can get specific products or deals for twelve days leading up to Christmas. You can even throw in some fun themed days to really get people into the spirit.

Give Away Stocking Stuffers
For those shoppers who are trying to finish off their holiday shopping, little stocking stuffers can be a real attraction. So you can give them away with each purchase or offer them at a discounted rate for people who spend a specific amount on other items.

This article, "50 Tips for Marketing Your Business This Holiday Season" was first published on Small Business Trends