{photo by Wallyg of Bergdorf Goodman's holiday display in NYC}
The first week of November is coming to an end and the Holidays (with a capital H!) are now on the minds of many. Although the state of our economy is poor and this year is expected to be a hard one for retailers, big and small alike, I expect that you can still make the next month or so a profitable one- you just need to market your shop well for the holiday season and be prepared for the (hopeful) increase in traffic.
So, stop singing those holiday blues. It's time to spruce up your store, deck the virtual halls and prep yourself for the biggest shopping season of the year!
Show me the customers!
How
do you bring the customers in this time of year? Especially since most
of them are going to be shopping on a budget? Get out
there and make yourself known!
- Introduce yourself to blogs
This is not the time to be shy, if you have a shop, let us know about it! Have holiday specific items like holiday cards, calendars, gift wrap, ornaments? Be sure to point them out, we may include them in holiday guides! Have items that would make great gifts? For who? Tell us who your target customer is- if it matches our readership, you're more likely to get featured! Check out the prior references on how to contact blogs and a big list of blogs to contact to get started. - Advertise, advertise, advertise
As much as your own budget will allow, this is prime advertising season! If you don't already have ads in place, it's time to start contacting your favorite resources to see if they have spots open still. Take a peek at this past article on advertising outlets so you can be sure to have some ads running for December, at least! And check out these free advertising ideas if your budget is already spent, or you need some more promotion to supplement!
- Send out a newsletter
If you have a newsletter list, right about now is a good time to send one out! Start talking about your holiday items, offer a special incentive for your newsletter subscribers, remind folks that you exist and that you also happen to have some great gift items! Send another one early December, and perhaps another when you're nearing your shipping deadlines with a "3 days left to order, better act fast!" sort of reminder.
Show me the sales!
Good job! The customers found you, but how do you get them to buy??
