Sales during the holiday season tend to skyrocket for all types of products and services, which makes this time of the year an excellent opportunity for active advertising. In fact, running a smart holiday marketing campaign is one of the best ways to give any retail or service business an immediate boost in sales and increase its future profit potential. Holiday promotions can be especially effective for new companies and small businesses because they help increase exposure and strengthen brand identities. All business owners who understand the value of online advertising, offer credit card processing and know the local demographics can run a highly successful holiday marketing campaign on practically any budget.
To get the most out of a holiday promotion, it is important to come up with a personalized plan for the company’s target audience. In addition to sending out mailers or doing other forms of traditional advertising, all business owners should take advantage of online marketing with social media websites. Social media advertising is not only incredibly effective, but it is also one of the most affordable marketing channels any business owner can use to establish a strong online presence, promote brand identity and advertise special offers. Most social media websites are free, but many offer additional marketing tools and programs that can be purchased for a relatively low rate.
For the terms of the promotion, business owners should look at offers that are going to be attractive to holiday shoppers on a budget. Each advertisement should be brief and come with a call-to-action that encourages customers to act quickly. Because customers often use credit cards to fund their holiday purchases, businesses that do not yet offer credit card processing should consider setting up their merchant accounts as soon as possible.
With so many other businesses that take credit cards, any companies that do not accept them can lose new customers to their competitors. Business owners who want to maximize their profits during the holiday season should open their merchant accounts at least a few weeks before they begin their holiday promotion. Those who are not yet taking orders over the Internet should then consider taking their business online. With the ability to process credit cards and a user-friendly website, any business can use social media and other online channels to significantly increase sales during the holiday season.