Marketing your business at Christmas

The festive period is an excellent time for creating positive associations with your brand and increasing your marketability and ultimately driving up sales leading into the New Year.

For SMEs who do not have the same marketing budgets like giants John Lewis and Sainsbury's, there are numerous other cost effective ways to use the Christmas period as a catalyst to growing your customer base and ensuring long term customer loyalty.

Here are a few effective ways to market your business this holiday season:

Christmas Cards

Show your customers that you value their loyalty with personalised Christmas card printing. It seems simple right? But the impact of sending a printed Christmas card can stretch further than you think. Receiving a personalised Christmas card from your business will ensure your name is put into the minds' of your clients.

As a prime form of communication and a relationship building instrument, sending a Christmas card can ensure customer loyalty into the New Year and set you apart from your competitors. As a cost-effective marketing tool you could be adding key dates for extra discounts and promotional sales in the New Year. Be sure to include your company logo and contact details.

Brochures

Sending a gift guide or a festive A5 booklet about the products and services you offer is a tangible, highly cost-effective and influential marketing tool for your business. An extract from a report conducted by The Direct Marketing Association in 2013, From Letterbox to Inbox, found that 56% of consumers choose printed marketing to be the “most trustworthy “of media channels," with 79% acting on direct mail immediately. Therefore why miss out on this opportunity?

Incorporating vouchers into your booklet printing containing information about your products and services make recipients far more likely to follow through with a purchase. Brochures are a cost-effective way to reach your target audience and remind them of what you have to offer. A high quality creative printed brochure can maximise sales and promotional opportunities of your business, it's not one to be overlooked.

Promotional vouchers

Create opportunities for your business. Sending vouchers to your existing customer base with an additional voucher for a new customer will not only retain your customer base but grow in going into the New Year. Christmas is the time when people are most willing to spend, so ensure you attract them to your business by offering promotions and incentives. As well as being more memorable, physical vouchers can be more trusted than their digital counterparts so make them look professional yet creative.

2018 calendars

Sending a yearly calendar can make an excellent gift to send to your customers. Not only does it give your customers the instant feeling of appreciation for their loyalty but your business name will be seen on their desk or in their home all year round! Incorporating your logo and contact details into your calendar design gives your customers an easy way to get in touch making them far more likely to choose your business over someone else's, it's really that easy.

Your website

To really add to that festive spirit in your Christmas marketing its worth investing the time to give your website a subtle festive feel through your design, from pieces of holly to sparkling baubles surrounding your landing page. A festive theme will show that your company is on point, it will also typically improve conversion rates by being timely and relevant. You should bear in mind that Christmas deliveries and operation times etc. should be mentioned on the website to keep your customers informed.

Festive emails

The run up to Christmas and during the festive period is the optimum time for retailers with people buying Christmas presents or using their Christmas money to purchase, so it's imperative to keep your company at the forefront of their minds so that you are at the top of the list when making purchasing decisions. An easy cost-effective way of spreading brand awareness is through emailers; they can be quickly distributed, easily personalised and carry time sensitive offers and information. Spread Christmas cheer through emailers and keep them informal, and remember to include a call to action, i.e. use this voucher code, order before...

Christmas marketing is important for the growth and sales of your business so plan, prepare, proceed and prosper.

Katie Gray writes on behalf of Print UK, suppliers of printed marketing solutions to businesses across the UK.