At the time of writing, we are closing in on the 24-hour countdown until turkey day. In the three-and-a-half week melee that follows, an estimated $989bn will be spent by consumers on holiday-related purchases. Despite a shortened shopping season, brands will spend somewhere around $65bn on digital advertising this month; unfortunately for small businesses, this typically means more competition and higher CPMs. Since this can be one of the most important times of the year, and media budget is usually a fixed resource, let’s take a look at some no-cost holiday marketing ideas for small businesses.
Ask for Referrals
Your happy customers are your best advertising (and that’s us, an advertising agency, admitting that), and the proof is in the metrics:
- An estimated 65% of new business opportunities come from referrals; for small businesses, that number jumps to 85%.
- Referred customers themselves refer 30-57% more new customers than those that found your business via other means.
The holiday season and start to a new year make for a perfect time to reach out to current customers and request a referral; often this can be done in conjunction with a company holiday email or organic social outreach. Speaking of reaching out to customers…
Contact Prior/Lapsed Customers
Customers you haven’t seen in a while are typically what we would consider to be a “low hanging fruit” digital advertising tactic, as they often result in a much higher return on ad spend (ROAS) than reaching new customers. Repeat customers have a 60-70% chance of spending money with your business again. Often times, a holiday-themed reminder in the form of a timely email can be just the catalyst to turn a former customer into a repeat customer. A well-planned digital retargeting campaign paired with email marketing is also highly effective and usually requires low budgets.
Gift Cards
According to the National Retail Federation, more than half of consumers’ wish lists have gift cards prominently featured. Offering gift cards isn’t reserved for large chains, and small businesses have numerous options for giving customers a way to pre-pay for products or services.
Depending on the POS system your small business uses, you may be able to offer gift cards directly through your payments platform. There are third-party companies such as Plascards or Vista Print that can get new-school plastic cards printed, but many Reddit users in r/smallbusiness report simply creating paper gift certificates, signed and numbered to avoid duplication.
Implementing Holiday Marketing Ideas
In a pinch for time and resources this holiday season? Contact Screechy Cat Media today and let us show you how we can help you meet your holiday sales and marketing goals!
