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It is December 5, which means Christmas is officially 20 days away and though it would have been ideal to have started your marketing strategy and execution already, Entrepreneur Weekly will explore how you can create magic for the remaining 20 days. Holiday marketing is a strategic positioning of your business in a way that feels relevant to customers for this season.

According to Forbes Magazine, “Creating a successful holiday marketing campaign is both art and science, as marketers need to find the best formula to tap into the holiday sentiment and sell services or products that may have very little to do with the festive mood – all of it in a crowded market where countless other companies are trying to do the exact same thing.”

However, there are ways you can increase your revenue this holiday season by implementing a few simple strategies that bring Christmas cheer and position your product or service as the perfect gift. In this Entrepreneur Weekly post, we will share how to leverage particular platforms and employ certain methods in these last few weeks that you have left.


Know Your Customer’s Behaviour
Firstly, it is important to know your audience and their particular behaviours and habits during this time. You can gather this information by doing quick research on the psychology of spending during these peak periods as well as by looking at previous business performances and the purchasing habits of your clients associated with them. Liam Quinn from Research Interactive said “Review past performance. The best thing you can do is analyse what has worked well from your previous holiday campaigns and incorporate them into your upcoming promotions.”


According Lorena Morales of Go Nimbly “Identifying unique behaviors that happen during these seasons such as: emotional purchases, overwhelming advertising reactions, etc. With that in mind, I think it is fairly doable to create messaging that is not only personalised but targeted to the right way and moments of “seasonality.”


Tell A Story with Your Messaging
As mentioned above, messaging is key during this time and customers are drawn into your business by the specific narrative you are selling. What need are you responding to during this time? What feelings are you trying to elicit? Craft messages that communicate the story of your brand and particularly its relevance during the holiday. Place emphasis on themes of the season such as family time, gratitude and merriment. Laurie Wang, Legal Aid Alberta said, “Whether it’s a picture, video, banner – no matter what the product is, you can always tell a story and meet your audience where they are at. Holidays are about people being together, even at a distance or online. Those stories of us being together are what make life rich.”

Leverage Your Platforms
Where are your customers most during this time? Find them, target them there and also redirect them to where you want them to be to make purchases. Email marketing is still a tool that is relevant and particularly useful during this time. According to Jessica Wong, Valuc LLC “The modern age of marketing is all about pay per click and social media campaigns, but there is still a tried-and-true method that shouldn’t be forgotten. In fact, email marketing remains one of the most fruitful marketing tactics available. Utilise your email list to remarket your holiday offers to existing clients. Start with analysing your customer segments and sales data.”


Social media is going nowhere and businesses must leverage their marketing in this space in a way that excites but also drives revenue. People are looking for sales and offers during this time. Make your offerings stand out with user engagement activities such as competitions, catchy content that utilises brilliant festive graphics and music.


Tokens are always a good way to imprint your brand on the minds of your customers. During this season, you could add small promotions into all deliveries – something thoughtful, themed and matched to your product. This could be an add-on mini of a product range or a tester for a new release. Also make your in-store experiences memorable by adding festive decorations and fun activities for your clients to enjoy.

JBDC and Marketing Assistance
The Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) has been mandated as the Government of Jamaica’s key support for entrepreneurs. The Marketing Services Unit assists clients to strengthen their brands through stories about their businesses which connect the target audience with their products. View other marketing services on our website https://www.jbdc.net/services/marketing-services/. We look forward to meeting with you soon.

Additionally, through our YouTube Page, @JBDCJamaica, there has been a number of knowledge sharing sessions on the topic of marketing in the JBDC Virtual Biz Zone webinars. Check out the page for a wide array of topics relevant for local entrepreneurs.

See links for a few Marketing Virtual Biz Zone sessions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H173GF3rdTQ&t=39s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF5uNA4ZuzM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT0jQ9wTni4

Sources

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2020/10/13/15-essential-steps-in-building-a-successful-holiday-marketing-campaign/?sh=51200f406231

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2022/11/21/14-agency-pros-share-their-favorite-holiday-marketing-campaigns/?sh=9ffc7f28392b

Author

Corporate Communications