Tis the season to go marketing, fa la la la … la la la la

Why do I love holiday marketing so much?  Because it’s a great way to go into the New Year with more clients and more sales and at the same time connect on a deeper level with your clients and potential clients. You get to wish them holiday cheer and talk about their plans for the holidays and upcoming year.  It’s more relaxed and low key and often the marketing doesn’t feel like marketing at all, but more of a ‘Hi, how are you.”  No really, “Hi, how are you.  Let’s chat and talk about our holiday plans, kids, etc.”  You will soon get to the “what can do together in the new year,” but first, let’s get to know each other better.

Go into your holiday marketing not only to get the sale, but more to really connect with your clients and potential clients.  Let them see the real you behind the business.  The kid-like magic you feel during this time of year.  The joy you have for your family and friends and also how passionate you are about your business. Remember, there’s no need for a hard sale here.

Here are some tips to master your holiday marketing:

• Relax and enjoy.  I know you thought I’d have some brilliant do this for my first tip, but honestly the best way to market your business during the holidays or anytime really is just not to stress out. Clients and potential clients will be able to see “hey she’s really calm, even during the holidays.”  That goes a long way to showing them you really can help them with what they are going through.
• Have some fun and create a fun holiday banners for your business.  Change up you banners on all social media to reflect the season. It truly tis the season to show your personality.  Images sell.  So create a fun banner.
• Send a personalized holiday card or greeting to your clients.  Reconnect with ALL your clients and let them know how you appreciate them and perhaps how you can help them with other needs they may not even know you offer.
• For local clients stop by their office and drop off presents, popcorn tins for the staff and/or their favorite coffee for their afternoon pick-me-up.  For potential new clients, drop off a Holiday cup full of wrapped candy with your business card or perhaps get your business name printed on the candy bar.  I’ve done this for years and it works!!!  When my kids were young, I would dress them up in their holiday outfits and dressed and drop off goodies to my clients.  Many of my clients stated how much they looked forward to this.  Plus, it became a tradition for my kids.  Of course, after the first year many of my clients had some candy or goodies for them as well, so I’m not sure it was all spending time with mom as much as it was …. YUMMY  – We get candy!  But the joy on my kid’s and client’s faces was palpable.
• Coupons rock!! People love to save money this time of year and also even more important is that most are planning on spending money. Whereas they might not be interested in your product in the summer, now they need a gift for Aunt Susie so they are all ears.
• You see so many I’m grateful for posts this past month with 30 days of why they are grateful. I truly love reading those myself. But this month, let’s try this. How about 30 days of marketing. Every day commit to one marketing task. (of course you can do more, but try at least one.) Keep tabs on what they are. What happens is not only do you hopefully get more sales and clients and start the New Year rock’n, but you get into the habit of marketing on a regular basis. Try it! And let me know how it goes and if I can be of any assistance.
• Your Website. Update it!!  All your hard marketing work can go to waste these potential clients get to your website and see a unprofessional, poorly built, error-ridden, mess of a site.  Take a look at your website and see if it is the best that it can be.  I constantly update mine at http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com to try and provide tips and suggestions for those starting a virtual assisting and also tips on publishing and, of course, etc.  I know the importance of changing it frequently, so people will come back to see what’s new.

Look to the overall appearance, the professionalism of your wording, the explanations explaining the benefits you provide, etc.  In fact, everything in your site needs to convince a client to work with you.  Now ask yourself, does it do that?  Is this something I can be proud of?  Too often we throw together a website, just to have it done.  Remember this can often be a client’s first impression of you.  Is it selling you well?

So this year as others are shopping and preparing for the holidays, you can instead be preparing your business for the New Year.  What a gift that would be for YOU—to start your business off with a bang and lots of new clients or products sold in your holiday marketing efforts.  Ho Ho Ho!  Happy holidays from us.