Christmas is just around the corner and with glum predictions for the economy there is no better time to focus on improving your marketing efforts. The giving season is a great time to reconnect with your customers and clients and show them a little appreciation (which they will hopefully reciprocate) with some great offers, gestures and gifts. Below are a few ideas I came up with while trying to solve my own promotional dilemmas plus a few others that I thought might benefit other types of businesses. I’ll be adding more as I think of them. I’m open to suggestions if anyone wants to contribute to the list!

Repackage some chocolate or other consumable in your own brand.

Just like a business card only tasty! Bonus points if you make it funny or charming.

Incorporate the 12 days of Christmas to extend your marketing.

Make the most of the post-Christmas period by marketing from the 25th of December to the 6th of January, offering a great discount each day.

Upsell by offering promotional gifts at price thresholds.

Encourage people to spend a little bit extra to receive free gifts.

Send gift certificates with receipts/invoices.

People expecting a bill will receive a nice surprise and an incentive to buy again.

Send Christmas cards.

You could do the usual cards containing a personalised note or maybe you could send a pack of beautiful (but subtly branded) cards for the recipient to send to their family and friends.
Send themed Christmas present tags.
If your business has an appropriate theme, incorporate it into useful and inexpensive-to-make gift tags (this works for designers and illustrators for example).

Create themed/ branded wrapping paper.

Tie this in with a gift wrapping service or as a free promotional item for purchases over a certain amount. Make sure it’s something people would actually want to use.

Give away branded Christmas crackers.

Creating your own Christmas crackers can give you an opportunity to show some personality. Include a joke and a small gift or voucher.

Send vouchers.

Try making them pretty special or print them on a high quality stock. You can bet other businesses will have a similar idea, so you’ll need yours to stand out! If you’re giving store credit, using plastic cards might help the vouchers be taken more seriously.

Put all your customers into a free raffle for a great prize.

And let them know about it! It’s a great way to touch base and show what a generous and thoughtful business you own.

Create your own custom scratchies.

Create a fun and memorable experience with a customised scratch and win promotion.

Give away a themed desk calendar.

Take advantage of the coming of the new year to make a useful gift. Consider making a desk or wallet calendar so that it doesn’t compete with all the wall calendars people will receive from friends and family.

Coasters.

Drinking is a popular pastime over the holidays. A good way for good times to be associated with your business.

Free samples.

Celebrate the giving season with your clients and customers with free samples.

Give away a Christmas CD.

It might sound a bit corny but Christmas carol CDs are now mass produced a lower cost. You could use them as a promotional tool and save people the hassle of remembering to buy one.

Attend or sponsor an event.

At Christmas time there will be plenty of events to chose from. Think about your customers and the events they are most likely to attend.

Branded/themed wrapping ribbon.

Send as a free gift, with mail orders or as free gift wrapping. A unique way to stand out from the crowd and get into the holiday spirit.

Wear a Christmas tie.

Sporting a unique tie could bring a smile to customers’ faces, get them into the holiday mood and also make a great conversational point. Give it a unique twist by making your own custom tie. Printing temporary custom ties doesn’t have to be expensive.

Make a donation to a charity.

Celebrate the giving season and make a gift to charity, let your customers know about your contribution and give them a way to donate through your business as well.

Start a conversation on your social networks.

Ask people what they are up to! The holidays are a great way to start interaction and friendly conversation with your customers.

Give a foldable lantern.

Die cutting a lantern mail-out could be a neat way to promote yourself with a Christmas theme and something customers would like to display in their homes. Be sure to check the risks involved though.

Christmas decorations.

Branded or themed Christmas decorations that people will use and keep. Make them attractive to ensure that people will actually want to use them. 

Socialise.

Go to the events you are invited to or host your own. It’s a great way to network and meet new friends. Who knows what business it might lead to.

Offer a longer return policy or a different guarantee.

Take into account peoples’ needs over the holidays such as unwanted gifts or the fact they will be too busy holidaying to deal with returns for a while. It could help customer confidence and encourage them to buy.

Christmas-ify your web site and social media.

Make a little update to your logo and site offers. This will help get visitors into the Christmas spirit and show them that your holiday offers are ready and waiting to be snapped up.

Give your staff a little something.

The silly season usually means more stress for staff, showing them a little appreciation could go a long way towards improving their morale and your bottom line.

Make your mailing material a different shape, weight or size.

Mailboxes are already spewing with holiday marketing materials. You need to stand out from the clutter and make recipients want to carry your mail beyond the bin and into their home.

Harness the power of illustration.

If you want great illustrations for your Christmas promotions, get in touch for a free quotation.