2020 Holiday Marketing Tips for Small Businesses During A Pandemic
The holiday season is ever much awaited by customers and marketers alike. This year, with so much ambiguity due to COVID-19, many marketers are speculating how to unfold their marketing strategies for the coming holiday season that will be completely different from previous years.
2020 has fired a wrench into many of our plans. Just because we are amid the global COVID-19 pandemic does not mean you can hide away and hope that everything will work out for the best. Most of your customers are likely to always have the pandemic in the back of their minds. They have spent 2020 celebrating birthdays and other occasions via Zoom meetings, and are reaching for some form of normalcy in a world that feels far from normal.
If businesses want to flourish and withstand what is supposed to be a very unusual holiday shopping season, they have to deliver positive client experiences to grow above the masses. To give you a hand, we have provided some key takeaways for marketers to grab the most substantial impact during this holiday season.
Know Your Customers
Customers are seeking a sense of normalcy this holiday season, and it is great that most of them have holed up their savings during this pandemic time. But, to the best of their abilities, most people are aiming to maintain their holiday rituals and will be purchasing gifts this year, as well. Giving seems the right thing to do when we are #InThisTogether and in many cases away from our loved ones.
Client loyalty is everything. If you notice someone that appreciates and loves your business, isn’t that worth concentrating on? Then, half of the struggle to sell your business has already been accomplished. There are three practices you can use to tap into your existing client loyalty:
- Update your existing loyalty policies - Do something contemporary that is direct feedback to client behaviour during the pandemic period.
- Give limited deals - If there isn't any loyalty program, it’s OK! But you probably have a database of current clients or a group of followers, and you can offer them limited deals making them feel apart of your special club or limited opportunity.
- Introduce a loyalty program - If you are considering to introduce a loyalty program, this time is as great as any. Manage it straightforward and keep your clients’ concerns at heart.
Regular Communication
There is a lot happening in the world nowadays. Managing your marketing communication consistently will ensure that your current and potential customers will give their preference to your business. Competition among businesses for customers’ attention will be more profound this year as marketers try to neutralise losses from early in 2020 when many stores were closed due to lockdown.
Offer Holiday Gifts
Offering gifts is an exceptional holiday marketing strategy for small businesses. Providing gifts can show your customers your appreciation for their loyalty. Since giving gifts is a bit more costly than some of the other choices on this list, this strategy makes the most sense for small businesses with a greater average client value. Alternatively, a ‘gift with purchase’ campaign may often be the best way to go. Even then, your gifts might only be limited for top-tier customers only for that extra level of care and exclusivity.
If you are planning to invest money into providing holiday gifts, be sure they are attractive. Deliver with gifts that are real and generous — not just a marketing trick. Consider your gifts an investment into building strong relationships with your customers. Search for deliberate presents and identify ways to personalise them whenever possible.
Providing Festive Holiday Tips
By contributing free value in the form of content can bring many customers to your site and bring them to the start of the sales funnel.
In social media, content marketing is one of the most economical holiday marketing techniques. If you employ a content manager on your team who can set up written or video content, then content marketing can be practically free of cost (or the price of their wages).
One of the challenges of content marketing is discovering specifically what sort of content your target market requires. During the holiday season in this pandemic, customers and their requirements are far more certain.
Customers will require help with any of the following:
- Finding the right gifts
- Time management with family during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Finding great holiday recipes to eat with family and friends
- Gift-wrapping ideas
Identify which of these topics you can help with and then set up high quality content revolving around them. Whatever topics you choose, always deliver with great content your customers will value. Also, consider how the perception of your business will be affected through this content.
Best practice is that you should use your content to communicate to your customers through storytelling, not just for advertising your business. Therefore, it is a great idea to use content to get people talking about how great your business is and what you have to offer that is unique or appealing to a particular audience. Here are some ideas for ways you can do this:
- Influencer marketing - Whether you handle a large scale marketing campaign with numerous influencers or are only working with one or two who love your business, influencers can share your stories with their own exceptional style in a way that is tailored to their large audience.
- Client reviews - Every time a client reviews your product/service, they serve as a business ambassador for you. Receiving reviews could be linked into a loyalty program or by simply requesting for honest feedback. Client reviews are invaluable when it comes to your marketing strategy, so don’t underestimate them.
Holiday marketing strategies for small businesses in this year will need a little more creativity to entertain leaner financial plans. But, there are enough useful, cost-effective strategies that can help you increase brand awareness and consideration, get more website traffic, and grow your sales.
Discover ideas to support your customers during the holiday season, whether it is through tips, promotions, or offering excellent gift ideas. It is also crucial to make your website ready to handle the surge in traffic during the holidays. This is even more relevant in 2020 since it is more difficult for consumers to shop in-store, so most of your customers will be shopping online. Be sure to verify your website’s user experience and ensure that you have swift and steady hosting services that won’t crash with traffic variations.
