The holiday season usually provides a big sales boost for a lot of small business. But after the presents have been exchanged and the parties have come to an end, those sales often slow down significantly as well.
Still small businesses don’t have to just accept that post-holiday slump. There are plenty of ways you can take advantage of that extra time after the holidays have wrapped up to boost your sales throughout the year. Here are 15 tips for boosting your sales after the holiday season.
How to Boost Post Holiday Sales
Include Post-Holiday Coupons
Since more customers make purchases during the holidays, that offers businesses a unique opportunity to get more sales after the holidays as well. To leverage those holiday shoppers, you can include coupons with holiday purchases that people can only use after Christmas or the New Year.
And if you didn’t start that type of promotion during the holidays, you could potentially send out a coupon or discount code via email.
Be Ready for Returns
The post-holiday season is also usually full of returns or exchanges. And you can potentially turn some of those returns into extra purchases if you handle them correctly. You can offer a discount for customers who make extra purchases when returning or exchanging items.
You can arrange your store so that people are likely to come across some potential impulse purchases. And you can also just provide people with a good experience when making returns so that they’re more likely to come back throughout the year.
Transform the return process into a sales opportunity. Train your staff to engage customers returning items with suggestions for alternative products. Implement a loyalty program where customers get points for returned items, encouraging future purchases.
Show Your Appreciation
Since the holidays are so busy for many businesses, you might not have had a chance to properly thank your most loyal customers or clients.
But when sales slow down, it can be a perfect time to host a thank you event for loyal customers, offer an exclusive deal via email or do something really special for those who helped your business a lot over the past year.
Personalize your gratitude. Instead of a generic thank-you event, consider personalized thank-you notes or emails that reflect the customer’s purchase history. Offer exclusive post-holiday discounts to your most loyal customers as a token of appreciation.
Follow Up With Holiday Shoppers
You can also simply follow up with anyone who made purchases with you throughout the holidays. Send out an email asking about their experience and then include any new products or promotions as well.
Utilize customer relationship management (CRM) tools to segment holiday shoppers and send customized messages. For example, for customers who bought gift items, suggest complementary products they might enjoy for themselves.
Improve Your Online Reviews
When following up with those holiday shoppers, you could also use it as an opportunity to improve your online reviews on sites like Yelp and Facebook. Simply remind those who shopped with you that they have the opportunity to share their experience, and then provide them with links.
Then if you get more positive reviews from those holiday shoppers, you can potentially benefit from that throughout the rest of the year.
Launch a dedicated campaign to encourage holiday shoppers to leave reviews. Consider offering a small incentive, like a discount on their next purchase, for those who leave a review. Monitor and respond to these reviews to improve customer engagement.
Keep Holiday Campaigns Going
In addition, your actual holiday campaigns don’t have to stop just because Christmas is over. There are plenty of people who might have some last-minute purchases to make or who want to spend some of those holiday gift cards.
So keeping the holiday promotions going for an extra week or so can potentially help you squeeze even more sales out of the holiday season.
Analyze which holiday campaigns were most successful and extend them with a fresh twist. For example, if a particular product was a hit, offer it at a special post-holiday discount or bundle it with other items.
Host a Fun Contest
Your business isn’t the only one feeling the post-holiday blues. Consumers could also use a bit of fun after the season. So hosting a fun contest where you ask people to submit holiday photos or plans for the new year could be a great way to increase engagement or even sales.
Link the contest to your product or service. For instance, if you’re a bookstore, hold a short story contest with the theme of “New Beginnings” and offer store gift cards as prizes. Promote the contest across your social media channels to increase participation.
Put Extra Profits to Good Use
You could also use those extra dollars you made during the holidays to good use. If you have extra money, you could run some advertising campaigns or invest in other marketing activities to keep your sales up throughout the rest of the year.
Invest in technology that enhances customer experience. For instance, if you’re a retailer, consider upgrading your point-of-sale system for faster checkouts or investing in an app that enhances the shopping experience.
Start a Retargeting Campaign
For online businesses, one way you can really take advantage of the increased holiday traffic after the fact by launching a remarketing campaign. So you can target those who made purchases or visited your website at some point throughout the holidays.
Tailor your retargeting ads based on user behavior during the holidays. For instance, target users who abandoned their cart with personalized messages or offer them a special discount to complete their purchase
Stock Up on Content
You can also take the opportunity to simply tackle some marketing activities that you might not have time for throughout the rest of the year.
For example, you can spend time creating social media and blog posts that you can stockpile while business is slow so that you don’t have to rush to create that content when you’re busy later in the year.
Plan your content calendar for the year. Use this time to research trending topics in your industry and prepare blog posts, social media content, and email newsletters that align with these trends.
Create Unique Visuals
Or you could focus on creating a series of unique visuals for your marketing campaigns throughout the new year. That way you can make sure they’re all cohesive and set toward your main business goals for the year.
Develop a visual branding strategy. Use this period to brainstorm and create unique graphics or videos that tell your brand’s story, which can be used throughout the year in your marketing campaigns.
Start a New Social Media Campaign
The new year is also a perfect time for you to try something new. Since many people see it as a fresh start, it will seem natural for you to introduce new branding or a new style for your social media posts.
You could even launch a new campaign aimed at increasing your engagement or followers so you can continually boost your sales throughout the year.
Consider campaigns that involve user-generated content. For example, encourage customers to share how they use your products in their daily life, and feature these stories on your social channels.
Launch a New Product or Service
It’s also the perfect time to work on launching new products or services. Since you’re not likely to be as busy during this time, it can be easier to work on new product launches. And those new offerings can also lead to sales increases.
Utilize customer feedback obtained during the holiday season to refine your new offerings. Make sure your launch strategy includes a solid marketing plan that highlights the unique aspects of the new product or service.
Think About New Year’s Resolutions
During this time of year, many individuals also decide to try new things or set new goals. And for some businesses, there’s an opportunity to market products or services to those customers who are focused on specific new year’s resolutions.
For example, if you sell an app or product that could be used for tracking fitness activities, the new year is a perfect time to market to goal setters to increase sales.
Align your products or services with common resolutions. For example, if you run a fitness business, offer special packages or challenges that cater to those looking to get in shape in the new year.
Budget for the Year Ahead
You can also use the end of the year as an opportunity to look back at your finances throughout the past year and then make plans for the year ahead. Creating a budget for the year might not increase your sales notably right away.
But it’s an essential activity that can help you optimize your marketing efforts throughout the whole year.
Use this time for strategic planning. Analyze your holiday sales data to understand consumer behavior and trends, and use these insights to inform your budgeting and business strategy for the year.
Harnessing the Power of Collaboration: Partnering with Other Businesses
Collaboration has the potential to significantly amplify your efforts in boosting post-holiday sales. By teaming up with other businesses, you can tap into each other’s customer bases, share resources, and create unique experiences that attract a broader audience.
Here’s how you can make the most of this collaborative approach:
- Joint Promotions: Partner with complementary businesses to create joint promotions that offer value to both sets of customers. For instance, if you run a coffee shop, you could collaborate with a local bakery to offer a discounted coffee and pastry combo.
- Co-Hosted Events: Plan and host events together that cater to both of your customer demographics. These events could be workshops, classes, or even themed parties that showcase your products or services in a new light.
- Cross-Promotions: Cross-promote each other’s products or services on your respective platforms. This can include sharing social media posts, sending out co-branded emails, or even featuring each other’s offerings in your physical store.
- Bundle Deals: Create bundled offerings that feature products or services from multiple businesses at a discounted price. This encourages customers to explore different options while saving money.
- Loyalty Programs: Collaborate on loyalty programs where customers can earn rewards from both businesses. This encourages repeat business and customer retention.
- Charitable Initiatives: Partner with another business for a charitable cause, such as a fundraising event. Not only does this create a positive image for your businesses, but it also brings the community together.
- Pop-Up Shops: Set up temporary pop-up shops in each other’s locations. This exposes your products to a new audience while also giving your partner the same opportunity.
- Shared Resources: Pool resources for marketing materials, event planning, and other business-related activities. This reduces costs and workload for both parties.
- Complementary Services: If your business offers a service, consider partnering with a product-based business that complements yours. For instance, a yoga studio could partner with a skincare brand to offer wellness packages.
| Collaborative Strategy | Description |
|---|---|
| Joint Promotions | Partner with complementary businesses to create joint promotions that offer value to both sets of customers. This could involve offering combined products or services at a discounted price to attract a wider audience. |
| Co-Hosted Events | Plan and host events together that cater to both businesses’ customer demographics. Workshops, classes, or themed parties can showcase your offerings in a new light and create an engaging experience for attendees. |
| Cross-Promotions | Cross-promote each other’s products or services on various platforms. Collaborate on social media posts, co-branded emails, or even feature each other’s offerings in physical stores to leverage each other’s audiences. |
| Bundle Deals | Design bundled offerings featuring products or services from both businesses at a discounted price. Encouraging customers to explore diverse options while saving money can drive sales and enhance the perceived value. |
| Loyalty Programs | Collaborate on loyalty programs where customers can earn rewards from both businesses. This incentivizes repeat business, fosters customer retention, and encourages clients to engage with both brands more frequently. |
| Charitable Initiatives | Partner with another business for a charitable cause, such as a fundraising event. By supporting a shared cause, you not only enhance your businesses’ images but also bring the community together, creating positive associations. |
| Pop-Up Shops | Set up temporary pop-up shops in each other’s locations. This offers exposure to a new audience while providing the same opportunity for your partner. It can lead to increased sales and brand visibility for both businesses. |
| Shared Resources | Collaboratively pool resources for marketing materials, event planning, and other business-related activities. This reduces costs and workload, allowing both parties to leverage their strengths and create more impactful campaigns. |
| Complementary Services | If your business offers services, partner with a product-based business that complements yours. For instance, a yoga studio could collaborate with a skincare brand to create wellness packages that cater to holistic customer needs. |
Collaboration can breathe new life into your post-holiday efforts and create lasting relationships with other businesses and their customers. By working together, you’ll not only expand your reach but also provide a more holistic and memorable experience for your audience.
Navigating Post-Holiday Success
As the holiday season concludes and the whirlwind of festivities subsides, small businesses often face the challenge of a post-holiday sales slump.
However, this period doesn’t have to be a time of decline; rather, it can serve as a unique opportunity to employ strategic tactics that can propel your sales growth throughout the year.
By focusing on innovation, customer engagement, and effective marketing, you can ensure that the energy and momentum generated during the holidays continue well into the future.
The 15 actionable tips outlined in this guide offer a comprehensive toolkit for maximizing post-holiday sales growth.
From leveraging post-holiday coupons and transforming returns into additional purchases to showing appreciation to loyal customers and reengaging with holiday shoppers, these strategies empower small businesses to make the most of this transitional period.
Embracing the potential of extended holiday campaigns, hosting engaging contests, utilizing profits for effective advertising, and launching retargeting campaigns allow businesses to stay at the forefront of customer attention.
By stocking up on content, creating captivating visuals, and embarking on fresh social media campaigns, you can consistently engage your audience and attract new followers.
Seizing the moment to introduce new products or services that align with customers’ New Year’s resolutions capitalizes on their motivation, while budgeting for the year ahead ensures optimized marketing efforts for sustained growth.
As you implement these strategies, remember that success lies in your commitment to providing value, fostering connections, and maintaining a forward-thinking approach. The post-holiday period is not a time of rest but a springboard for continued achievement.
By embracing innovation, gratitude, and adaptability, you can transform the post-holiday lull into a period of opportunity, setting the stage for ongoing success and growth throughout the year.
Christmas Shopper Photo via Shutterstock
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