4 Step Checklist to Get Your Small Business Ready for Christmas

The holidays are in full swing and if you're like many small businesses, the Christmas season is your busiest time of year. If this rings true for you, then it's important to make sure that your business is ready for the rush by doing all the prep work beforehand.

Luckily, we've created a comprehensive checklist with everything you need to know to get your small business ready for Christmas! Our checklist includes steps such as creating SMS marketing campaigns in advance, setting up a marketing budget, Christmas gift guides, and more.

Related article: 25 Attention-Grabbing SMS Templates for your Retail Christmas Campaign

Do you need to have a Christmas marketing strategy?

Planning ahead will help you ensure a profitable festive season. This blog post provides a comprehensive checklist for small businesses wanting to capitalise on the holiday rush.

Christmas is the time of year when we spend more, both in physical store fronts and online. So, you need to make sure you do everything you can to take advantage of lucrative spending habits.

Planning a Christmas marketing campaign may seem daunting, but with a little planning, you can skyrocket Christmas sales and holiday sales. So, get in the holiday spirit and kickstart your Christmas campaign now!

Why your online store is doomed without a holiday marketing strategy

The holiday season is the perfect time for your eCommerce store to maximise profit. However, without a holiday marketing strategy in place that leverages SMS updates and promotions, you could be missing out on up to 60% of your sales.

Your eCommerce brand can benefit greatly from the holiday shopping season. Use tactics such as email marketing, social media posts on your Facebook page, festive discount codes, and SMS to encourage customers to visit your site.

Remember, website visitors are potential customers. So, optimise marketing efforts on your online store with holiday-themed graphics, holiday specials, and a personalised gift guide section. If you can offer free shipping, that will help to push more potential customers over the line and help you get more sales.

Check out these Christmas retail shopping statistics:

CHRISTMAS MARKETING THAT GUARANTEES RESULTS

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4 Christmas marketing ideas to check off

When it comes to the holiday season you can't just hope for good luck. Prepare with precision with our list of Christmas marketing ideas that will help you get ahead this season. If you follow these easy steps then there's no way your business won't be prepared for Christmas.

Use these Christmas marketing ideas to get into the Christmas spirit and (more importantly) get more sales!

1. Set a Christmas marketing budget

Christmas marketing spending peaks around December and January, but you don't need to wait until then. Start setting aside a budget for your SMS campaigns now in preparation for the holiday season.

If it's not possible to allocate exact amounts yet, put some money away each month so you'll be able to make use of every cent in December. SMS messages are the most effective way to spend your marketing budget; you get a high return on investment without spending too much money.

Setting a Christmas marketing budget can be difficult, especially for small businesses that are looking to increase sales. But if you want the holidays to be successful, now is the time to start thinking about how much money you're willing to spend on marketing campaigns.

This can include everything from Facebook ads and Google Adwords all the way through to SMS updates or Christmas giveaways. Evaluate your finances and decide your Christmas marketing campaign priorities. You can't do it all, so a strict budget is essential.

Christmas marketing ideas to consider including in your budget:

  • Christmas promotion landing pages
  • Advertising on social media platforms
  • A Christmas catalogue or digital catalogue
  • Email marketing campaigns
  • Online store promotions
  • SMS marketing ideas
  • Gift wrap services
  • Discount codes for your online store
  • And other ideas suited to your niche!

2. SMS Christmas marketing ideas

The average click-through rate for SMS is around 20%, which means you know you’re investment is worth it. Create SMS campaigns for Christmas to boost sales and create an exceptional customer experience these holidays.

Targeted SMS Christmas promotion

Capitalise on the holiday rush with targeted SMS campaigns that guarantee results. Use the Merge Send feature via the SMS gateway to include personalisation tokens in your text messages such as first names. Merge send allows you to send messages en masse that appear tailored to individual recipients.

Send well wishes and holiday greetings

Even if you’re not able to offer discounts this season, festive messages can still have a great impact on recipients. A simple thank you message for their support and well wishes goes a long way to bolstering customer loyalty.

Send links to your Christmas landing page

SMSGlobal’s automatic URL shortener lets you send short links in text messages. Include short links in your SMS campaigns and direct contacts to your Christmas promotions and gift guide collections. Plus, track click-through rates to adjust your SMS strategy as you go.

Related article: When Is The Best Time To Send An SMS?

3. Holiday season gift guide and gift ideas

Gift guides are a sure-fire way to increase purchases. Customers don't want to think too hard about their shopping. Curated gift guides can help them find the perfect gift. This is especially true during the holiday season when customers are being constantly bombarded with marketing and flashy images.

Create a list of gift ideas for different types of people in your niche, whether that's mothers or aspiring entrepreneurs. Promote your gift guide via social media campaigns, email marketing, or SMS marketing campaigns to spread the word.

Examples of gift ideas could include:

  • Physical gift cards and digital gift cards
  • Advent calendars
  • A gift guide based on personality types
  • Two for one bundles

4. Holiday Giveaways

Holiday giveaways and competitions are perhaps some of the best Christmas marketing ideas for building hype. Spread holiday cheer and increase brand awareness with giveaways and competitions.

You can still drive ROI and revenue with giveaways by making customers buy a small gift or sign up to your marketing list to be in the draw. Giveaways could include discount codes, experiences, high or medium-value items from your store, vouchers, and more.

Advertise your holiday competitions across marketing channels:

  • Social media posts
  • Email marketing
  • Website banners
  • Text message blasts

A great example of an SMS competition:

"{Name}, it’s the season for giving! To celebrate, {company name} are giving you the chance to win a voucher valued at $250. All you have to do is buy any item online before Dec 10. Good luck! TCs apply. To opt-out reply STOP."

Related article: Business miracles with SMS: your guide to this holiday period