Christmas is just a matter of weeks away so it could be time to give your marketing a festive feel.

If you’re a retailer, Christmas is probably a really important part of your year.If you provide services you probably see Christmas as a distraction,a holiday period that disrupts the business cycle or a welcome break.

However many service-based businesses neglect Christmas and the marketing opportunities it brings.

Christmas is an ideal time to develop relationships by engaging with your customer base and providing them with information about your services. Depending on the service you provide you may be able to tie this in with the festive season, whether it is in the way of special Christmas offers or by assisting with Christmas preparations.

If you offer a service that you can’t exactly tie in with Christmas. The festive season is still a great time to engage with your customers, new and old. Some ideas  include:

–          Customised Christmas cards – even though we live in a digital age where messages can be sent and received instantly, there’s still something nice about receiving a printed Christmas card. Unlike an email, it will be there for all to read and may even be displayed, for this reason be sure to include all of your company contact details and a unique Christmas message

–          Christmas eCard – for those who perhaps have a database of email addresses but no postal addresses, why not send out a Christmas card in electronic form? eCards are ideal as they give you the freedom to inject the personality of your brand and can be sent and received instantly.  They are also a good option to consider when there isn’t enough time to design, print and send a printed Christmas card .Its quite a nice idea perhaps to make a donation to charity equivalent to the savings made by going digital.

–          Promotions for the New Year – give your customers a gift they can redeem in the New Year, discount off your services in January works well. Spread this Christmas cheer by way of email and your social media channels

–          A branded calendar or diary – ensure your business is visible to your customers all-year round by sending out a calendar or diary that they can display or use throughout 2014. Again be sure to include your contact details and also a short description of what you do for the benefit of others who may be viewing it

–          Promotional gifts – If you have a larger budget, why not consider sending out promotional gifts to your customers? Whether this is items they can keep such as paperweights or pens, or items they can eat like chocolate Santas or candy canes, this always makes for a nice touch and a way to remember your business.

–          Send a Christmas email to wish people compliments of the season and let them know your Christmas/New Year Opening hours.

–          A Christmas Competition on your Social Media Channels – Many businesses and brands are choosing to run competitions and promotions to give their social media communities a boost before the holidays.

Please Contact Us and let us know if you have any suggestions or if you want any additional advice on how to make the best of the festive season.