Business and Marketing Plans for Xmas Holiday
Simple Guides for Creating Small Business Marketing Strategies
© Yahan Wu
Oct 27, 2009
As the winter holidays approach, business owners, especially small to medium sized ones, should start strategizing sales and marketing plans for the festive season.
Develop a Business Action Plan
There are a million ways to promote and generate business over the Christmas holidays, so start making decisions on what needs to be done to draw in customers and maximize sales. In short, do research and put together a marketing plan.
Decide on a budget to be spent over the winter season. Start off by taking care of the basics, such as whether or not new decorations will be needed, what kinds will be bought and how much they cost; if promotions are needed and what kind; if greeting cards will be posted or e-mailed, and extending business hours.
After making a list of what is needed for the holidays, start organizing the staff and assign responsibilities to each and determine a deadline for tasks. Don’t forget to announce the holiday work schedule so the staff can work around it.
Start Sales and Marketing Plans Early
Keep in mind that Christmas is a busy time, so get marketing materials designed and printed as soon as possible. Little expenses like stamps and greeting cards can pile up and become expensive, so budget planning is critical.
Also, think about the extra working hours needed to complete a holiday project and make sure workers are available to meet the extra demands. Coordination with other firms must be taken into consideration when scheduling marketing plans. Magazine publications for example, often plan their content months in advance to get the best match possible for ads.
Thank Customers
Make an effort when selecting greeting cards so that they act as a successful business representative with the right brand image which also speaks to the interests and beliefs of customers. Include personalized greetings that speak to each client as a valuable customer.
Plan the gifts that will be distributed in December, such as free sessions for a service-based business like a hair salon or a spa. Make sure to finalize offers and pricing, brainstorm ideas for holiday products, services, offers and events and send out preview season announcements and offers to clients via e-mail and networking sites.
Sign-up New Customers and Land Sales
Christmas is the perfect opportunity for businesses to introduce new products into the market as shoppers are on the lookout for new and novel items for gifts. Study who the target market is and start marketing as early as possible as some people start shopping for presents in November.
Sources:
Business on Main, Holiday Marketing To-Do List, 2009
Small Fuel Marketing, Have You Made Marketing Plans for Christmas?, Oct. 7, 2008
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