For better or worse, the lull of Christmas is short-lived.
Months of excited (and frequently extravagant) holiday shopping lead up to a joyous, relaxing day of gift-giving and celebrating with loved ones.
The momentary pause in buying, however, is brief. When the clock strikes midnight on December 26th, it signals the beginning of one of the busiest shopping weeks of the year: Boxing Week.
Shoppers ambitious enough to brave the crowds during Boxing Week are greeted with deals, discounts, and door crashers galore. The promise of cost savings and limited quantities can entice even the most frugal consumer to keep on shopping.
Corporations prepare for the Boxing Day onslaught all year round, putting together exclusive, nationwide incentives to bring in the buyers.
Small businesses can get in on the action, too!
By offering promotional specials and initiatives over the Boxing Day week, you’ll help to keep business booming over the holidays. You’ll also be endearing yourself to your clientele, ensuring continued success into the New Year.
We at LinkNow Media have put together this list of seven useful tips for business owners promoting their activities over Boxing Day week. This time of year is a rush, but we’re here to help you keep up with it!
1) Be Sure to Offer Sales, Deals, and Other Incentives
Boxing Day week is all about sales. Buyers often wait all year round to take advantage of these tremendous savings, second only to those on Black Friday.
If your business provides a service in the community, your Boxing Day sales may entail reduced rates or special discount coupons. For example, a landscaping company may offer one free service to each new client that signs up. You can also offer special holiday rates for existing customers or referrals.
For product-based businesses, you’ll have a wider variety of options open to you.
Get creative…implement things like buy-one-get-one policies, 20% off next purchase, free shipping, or sales on special seasonal items. Consider including a gift card to your business with a purchase. Customers are certain to return and spend it!
There are countless ways to promote yourself during the Boxing Day festivities. The initial losses of discounts will quickly be offset by increases in customer interest and purchases.
Whichever promotional method you choose over Boxing Week, make sure you advertise it clearly— and well!
Many companies also offer an interesting and impactful policy over the holidays, known as buy-one-give-one. A spin on the conventional buy-one-get-one sales, this involves your business giving a donation to charity for each sale you make.
You could donate financially or give of your own inventory to support a cause that has special meaning to you.
Simply by frequenting your business, a customer is able to support a great cause and feel great about their purchase.
It’s an initiative that ties in wonderfully with the ‘reason for the season’, as well.
2) Interact with Your Clients
The holidays provide the perfect opportunity to reach out to your customers, wishing them the best of the season and meaningfully expressing your gratitude for their years of loyalty.
Remember, they are responsible for your continued success and growth!
The Internet greatly facilitates customer interaction, and as a business owner you can use this to your full advantage.
Many companies and services have a customer email list, with which they keep customers informed of current specials and activities.
Consider sending out a cheerful, informative newsletter. Enclose your company’s very best wishes for an enjoyable holiday season, along with good health and prosperity in the New Year. Be sure to outline any current Boxing Day specials, discounts, and your schedule over the holidays. You could even include a coupon or rebate for your services.
You can also reach out to your clients via your social media accounts. Update your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages with holiday wishes along with current specials. Post a photo of the festive décor in your location, or of your employees spreading good tidings in the community!
If you write a blog for your business, now is the time to update it. Be sure to write at least one post over the holiday season. Send season’s greetings on behalf of your entire staff, and highlight any sales you’re offering presently.
Lastly, there’s a good chance that you’ll be dealing with clients seeking returns, exchanges, or refunds during the Boxing Day festivities.
View this as an opportunity rather than an inconvenience. Use the interaction to promote any new products or services you may be offering, discuss current discounts, and make the process as simple and seamless as possible.
With genuine, informative expressions of good cheer over the holidays, you can help to keep your customers coming back all year round!
3) Extend Your Hours
The holidays are not as restful as some of us would like. In fact, they’re often much busier than ordinary times of year…both for you and your customers!
Offering your clients extended hours is a fantastic way to accommodate busy schedules and keep yourself in high demand.
If your business has a physical location, take the initiative to have it operating and staffed on an extended schedule.
If you work in services, consider giving up a small portion of your own holiday to work several more hours.
Whether that means opening earlier in the morning, staying open later in the evening, or offering services on the weekend, you should extend your work hours in the way that makes most sense for you.
Your customers will appreciate the flexibility, and are much more likely to stop in when they have the chance.
Not to mention that an announcement of extended hours is an impressive way to promote yourself over the holiday season.
It shows that while your less energetic competitors are enjoying a leisurely holiday, you and your business are going the extra mile!
Consider bolstering up your hours this Boxing Week— it’s a move that’s sure to pay off.
4) Dress Up Your Shop
Whether you run a store, office, restaurant, or any other business location, everyone appreciates a little decoration.
Some business owners take pride in going all out with absolutely outrageous holiday decorations. Unless your last name is Claus or Griswald, you don’t have to go this far!
However, incorporating some tinsel, garland, brightly-colored lights, or artificial snow into your business location is a great way to get into the festive spirit without going overboard.
A Christmas tree – even a small one— is another great way to spruce up your business.
You can even consider enhancing the ambiance with holiday music or having your employees sport festive attire.
If you’ve had holiday decorations up for weeks, don’t take them down just yet…keep them up over Boxing Week!
Prolong the holidays just a little longer…after all, they only come once a year!
When your business radiates a bright, pleasant, nicely-decorated atmosphere, clients will stop by more often. Chances are they’ll also stay longer when they do!
Don’t forget to share pictures of your business’s beautiful decorations on your social media pages. You may even entice a customer into stopping in and beholding them themselves!
5) Work the Perks
Whether you call them treats, goodies, or giveaways, every buyer appreciates a little something extra.
You don’t need to break the bank in order to do this— as the old saying goes, it’s the thought that counts. A thoughtful gesture goes a long way, and provides great buying incentive!
Besides, you may feel your customers deserve a little reward for frequenting your business over the years.
Perks you provide your customers can be personalized to your business. Free trials or samples of new products, gift cards or store credit with purchases, discounts or rebates, points programs, or other rewards are all examples you may like to follow.
You can also offer creative, handmade gifts an alternative to monetary discounts or rewards. You can even consider setting up a VIP club for your customers, in which they are informed first about new products and services or about exclusive deals.
With little money down, you’ll keep your customers engaged and interested in what you have to offer.
Regardless of what kind of business you operate, you’ll be surprised at how far perks like these can go in solidifying your customer loyalty!
6) Consider Hosting an Event
The season of giving is also the season of gathering. Think about opening your doors for a special festival, community event, or open house.
This provides a chance to showcase your business’s activities and offerings, while celebrating and bringing together the community that your business serves.
Your event can be something that promotes your business in a unique, interactive way. For instance, a cookware shop could offer a free cooking demonstration of delectable holiday dishes. You can also offer special prizes and discount coupons at your event.
Entice your guests with seasonal refreshments and beverages like baked treats, apple cider, or hot chocolate. If your refreshments aren’t complimentary, consider donating the proceeds to a charity or youth organization in your community. Have a donation box set out so your guests can contribute as well.
Music— particularly of the live variety— is also a great way to draw a crowd.
Make sure you have a prominent display of your business’s products, especially items currently on sale. If you’re a service provider, display some pictures of projects you’ve completed or outline some promotional sales.
Do you have close ties to another business in the community? Ask them to get involved too!
A fair with multiple displays and booths set up will attract even more attention.
Advertise your event online by means of social media. You can even approach the local press in your area and ask if they’d consider promoting the event as well.
Lastly, make sure to take pictures of the event. They’ll be great to send to local publications, or to post on your own social media pages!
7) Promote the New Year
The New Year is an exciting period of time for any business. It’s the time to evaluate prospects of the future.
Maybe you’re considering expanding or relocating your business, or increasing your inventory of products or services to offer your clients greater selection. Everyone appreciates options.
Even if little is changing as far as your business activities are concerned, it’s always wise to keep your customers and staff informed.
Keep your customers up-to-date with what’s to come in 2019! Write a newsletter to your clients outlining the plans or goals of your business. Send copies to your clients, enclose them with your receipts or invoices, and have copies available in your location.
Perhaps you have plans to expand into other geographical areas, or broaden the scope of your services. If this is the case, consider putting together a survey!
A survey is a great way to gauge popular opinion and perspective. It gives you the chance to ask customers about what aspects of your business they appreciate most, and what additional offerings they might look for in the future. You might glean some unexpectedly great insights!
It’s also a great time of year to ask your clients to review your business' products or services online. It’s a fantastic way to develop your online presence and gives you and your staff the added incentive of doing an exceptional job.
The holidays are an important time of year for us here at LinkNow Media.
We kick off the season with a special initiative for the Batshaw Youth and Family Centers. Our staff participates in a yearly toy drive for Batshaw. We donate hundreds of toys to foster children who may not otherwise be receiving any gifts.
The proceeds from our annual Talent Show also go towards the Batshaw Youth and Family Centers and the impactful work they are doing in the community.
Each day we help small business owners achieve their marketing goals. If you have any questions about marketing your business during the holiday season, or at any other time of year, contact us.
One of our representatives would be delighted to assist and advise you.
On behalf of the entire LinkNow Media staff, we wish you a joyful and prosperous holiday!