Three Wise Men Present: Marketing Tips for the Holidays
The holiday season is the perfect example for an opportunity to leap frog over the competition and create a definite edge for your business. Marketing means getting people to want to use your business, and during the holidays people are more willing to spend money since they had planned to do it since the holidays rolled in the year before. What is important is to remember that an opportunity is just that: only an opportunity. To help you turn this opportunity into a success story, try some of these tips for marketing your business.
1. Social Media = Word of Mouth
Krispy Kreme has never advertised itself, yet it is one of the most recognizable brands in the country. Why? Because word of mouth is the most powerful tool for marketing. A celebrity saying a product is great is one thing, but to have a trusted friend or the entire office say there is a great deal is a very different experience. Twenty years ago word of mouth was from one person to the other, and so on and so forth, but now, one person can reach hundreds through social media. Word of mouth has transformed marketing into a shouting match, because a good deal is just one click away for someone to send their entire contact list and to the public.
2. Mobile Media is Essential Media
A cell phone today is nothing short of a computer that fits in your pocket. If your website is not compatible with mobile devices, or it looks confusing and unappealing when opened on a cell phone, the customer can lose patience immediately and leave the page. Making it as easy as possible for the customer to navigate your website, which is usually from their mobile phones, will increase the likelihood of that potential customer becoming a loyal patron and advertising tool themselves. And don’t forget; People use social media predominantly on their cell phones, so when they click on the link shared by their friend, it will open on that phone, so make sure you are ready to impress.
3. Special Offers Mean You Are Unique
A special offer, whether it be on the product or the shipping, shows an effort to appeal to the shopper, and that the company is willing to do what is necessary to win over the loyalty of the client. Offering free shipping for purchases over a certain amount, like $75 for example, means someone who might have spent just $40 with $10 for shipping, is now more open to spending almost double the initial amount as they see that $10 as free money. It is a win-win situation, as the customer gets more product and is happy with the money going to what he wants, and the company selling more product and possibly capturing a client for life.
4. Please and Thank You
We are taught to say “Please” and “Thank You” because it is polite, but what about saying it to customers you never see? By sending out “thank you” emails to customers after the holiday rush, you remind the customer of their good experience with you, but also appeal more to the customer’s sense of appreciation. When a customer feels appreciated and important, the probability of a follow-up order or positive review increases drastically.