As a brand and website designer for local small businesses I’ve found firsthand that the holidays are a time of joy, celebration, and opportunity for product-based shops and online stores.

With a bit of creativity and strategic planning, you can turn that opportunity into a whole lot of business. 

Let’s dive into some practical yet creative ideas and tools so you can take advantage of selling your products this holiday season.

Here are a few reasons why this season could be a game-changer for you:

• If you think about it, B2B and B2C customers are closing their year and thinking ahead to next year’s resolutions. Framing your products as a way to help them accomplish their goals is a win-win!

• Consumers spend more during the holidays, including (but DEFINITELY not limited to) gifts, entertainment, and extra special items.

• Many people have specific needs during the holiday season. Seasonal products can remind people to think ahead and get things checked off their shopping lists.

In this post, we’re diving into some ideas for holiday promotions that can strengthen your relationships with your customers AND provide a festive little discount they will also appreciate. 

Pick a Holiday Offering that Makes Sense for Your Product-Based Business

Choosing the proper holiday marketing for you comes down to a few things you can think through, with your ideal customer in mind. 

1. Does this offering reduce my customer’s stress? Yes, holidays are a lot of fun, but they also take a toll on people trying to check off everything on their long list of shopping, decorating, cooking, etc. Will your offering simplify things for them to keep the overwhelm at bay?
   
   
2. Does this offering solve a holiday-related problem quickly? Consider creating a unique offering that helps them feel taken care of, or even like a “treat” to them around the holidays which will make gift-giving easier, faster or more meaningful.

So, let’s brainstorm some ideas for making this holiday season extra merry and bright for your product-based business customers. This list will hopefully spur some ideas for your own business!

If your business has both products and service offerings, check out this post.

Holiday Gift Bundles

Bundling some of your most popular products together as a themed holiday gift can increase the value of your offering and could upsell your customers who would have purchased just one of the bundled items. 

Example:  A local gift shop could create a basket or prepackaged “Cozy Vibes” bundle that has a their best selling blanket, coffee mug and package of tea.

Tip: Provide a discount on the bundle so the customer gets more value by purchasing it all together.

Limited-Time Holiday-Themed Products

Create a product that compliments your existing products well but is only available for a limited time.

Example: A candle company could create limited-edition scents in special festive packaging to make an “already ready to give” set.

Tip: Communicate the limited availability by using messaging like “limited stock” or “one time offer.”

Exclusive Holiday Discounts

Offering discounts on certain items throughout the holiday season can prolong sales opportunities. 

Example: An online clothing boutique could offer “12 Days of Deals,” where different products are discounted each day leading up to the holidays.

Tip: You can promote the sale through email marketing. The promotion can run on on socials or other avenues but having customers sign up for your email list to receive the deal adds subscribers for future purchases and you can link directly the product in your email.

Holiday-Themed Social Media Contests

Use social media to promote brand awareness effectively and create a buzz around your products. 

A social media contest is less work on your end because the customer is the one who generates the content for you, and all you need to do is share it and stay engaged.

The more clients participate, the more they spread awareness for the business, turning customers into brand ambassadors during the holiday season. 

Example: A jewelry brand could host a “Wishlist Giveaway,” asking followers to comment on a carousel post with their favorite piece of jewelry and tag their friends for a chance to win it.

Tip: Make your graphics eye-catching to grab the attention of an interested buyer.

Partner with Complimentary Local Businesses

I love seeing businesses with the same target audience working together to provide a multi-business custom package.

Collaborative packages expand your reach to a new customer base, provide a sense of community and gives your customers unique gift ideas. 

Example: A coffee roaster could team up with a local bakery to offer a “Java & Joy Holiday Box,” which includes a bag of freshly roasted coffee beans and a selection of holiday treats to take to work or share at home with holiday guests.

Tip: Cross-promote this package on all partners’ social media accounts and email lists, reaching a wider audience.

 
Loyalty Holiday Special

Maybe there is something outside your typical offerings that you’d like to offer to those who have been loyal customers in the past, or perhaps it’s exclusively for your email list and not advertised anywhere else. This can help customers and potential customers feel like special, like they are a part of a valued community.

Example: A dog groomer could offer a “Holiday Pup Pamper” package exclusive to their email list subscribers or existing customers. This package could include a grooming session, a holiday-themed bandana, and a small bag of dog treats. 

Tip: You don’t have to reinvent the wheel with this. You could even use an existing offer and add a loyalty discount or a holiday bonus.

Offer Gift Cards

Gift cards are such a convenient and easy way to express appreciation and support for someone special. It gives the recipient the opportunity to choose the items they love most.

Customers who purchase gift cards from you have likely already enjoyed your business and believe you have what someone else should have too, creating an AMAZING ripple effect.  Attracting new customers who could become repeat customers is the best kind of advertising, in my book.

Example: A local pet supply store would offer pet owners the joy picking out exactly what their furry friend needs, making gift cards the perfect option for any pet lover.

Tip: Offer a promotion like “Buy a $50 gift card and receive a $5 gift card for yourself,” and emphasize how it makes gift-giving easy while supporting small businesses.

Team up with a Charity

Working with a charity is a great way to spread joy while supporting a greater cause. If you have a charity you are passionate about, consider donating a portion of each purchase of a certain product to a charity. It will give back to a community of people who need financial support while also providing your customers a way to feel a part of something bigger.

Example: A hobby shop could donate a portion of sales from a certain list of items during the holiday season.

Tip: A “Buy One, Give One” is a beautiful way to give back.

Could you start implementing one of these holiday ideas for your small product-based business? Be inspired as you continue brainstorming and find just the right offering that works for your target customer. 

If your offering starts to feel a little too cliche or sale-sy as you're brainstorming, that’s GOOD! I want to encourage you to push through that and remember that you are providing products to offer valuable, easy solutions for your customers, helping them solve problems they didn’t know they had.

Choosing the Right Platform(s) for Your Holiday Offerings 

Getting the offerings set up and workflows tested EARLY is key to creating a seamless and straightforward purchase for your customer. The more seamless your checkout process is, the better is your chance of getting that coveted sale.

Let’s think through some free or economically priced platforms you can implement without needing a ton of tech skills so you can still promote your offerings professionally. 

The best platforms to use for your holiday promotions depend heavily on your specific needs and goals. There’s certainly no shortage of them. As a 16+ year business owner, I’ve done a lot of looking, trying, and digging. I think these are some of the best out there.

Don’t have a website yet? I promise I won’t leave you out! Keep reading for several options that don’t require it. If you do need a website, however, I know a girl. 💁🏼‍♀️

To provide additional discounts to you, some of the links below are affiliate links. Any link I provide means I’m passionate about what it has to offer. I choose my platforms wisely.

Website 

Platforms: Square, Shopify

If you already have a website on an online platform the best way to get your customers to notice your offering is to create product collections with dedicated landing pages for your holiday sale. This gives you a ton of flexibility on how you want to design your page so you can really sell it well. 

Creating a customer promo code for a discount at checkout is a straightforward approach to offering a discount that is easy for the customer and easy for the buyer. 

Pro Tip: If your platform allows the use of pop-ups, I recommend using them in the short term while you are running your promo code or seasonal sale. When shipping your orders, include a discount code and a thank you, to entice the customer to come back again.

Email Marketing

THE Platform: Flodesk 

OK, if you have Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or the like and are using it successfully, that’s great. I encourage you to continue using it (and remain on the DARK side.) hehe!

However, I absolutely must plug my favorite email platform EVER. It’s hard to even call it an email marketing platform because it’s so much more than that. 

Flodesk allows for the creation of sales/landing pages AND checkouts (all within the platform) and includes eye-catching templates, personalization, segmentation, workflow funnels, and more. 

I cannot say enough about it. If you don’t have a website (yet), I highly recommend using this as your main platform for selling your products.

Pro Tip: Flodesk offers product-based checkout templates you can set up in minutes.

You can get started with a free 30-day trial. Upgrade to a monthly plan HERE or a yearly plan for 50% off your first year using this link with code STUDIOADESIGNS.

Social Media

Platforms: Facebook, Instagram

Facebook and Instagram can be great for promoting your offering, but you have the option to take it a step further by setting up a checkout so people can shop directly in the app. 

Using Instagram’s product links to create collections of products you can sell directly on the platforms might be a good option! Learn more at Instagram shopping’s page as you consider if this is right for you and consider if the platforms you are already selling on can be imported to Facebook and/or Instagram.

Pro Tip: If you don’t want to connect shopping to Instagram, you can always link products individually in your stories as an alternative.

Local Business Directories

Platform: Google Business Listing

A Google Business Listing is completely free and pretty much a no-brainer. These listings are designed to help you get found within your local market, and though you wouldn’t think they could be used to promote a sale, they ABSOLUTELY CAN! 

You can create product listings that link directly to the product page of your website or a landing page for a holiday collection of products.

Pro Tip: Your holiday hours and all out-of-office times must be accurately displayed on your listing so your customer knows when to contact you if needed.

For more about setting up your Google Business Listing, scroll to the bottom of this blog post.

Gift Certificate Platforms

Platforms: Giftly, GiftUp or directly through your website or POS

Online gift card platforms are so easy to create and manage with the help of a platform like Giftly or GiftUp. They can be used as standalone platforms or integrated into your website. 

I like these platforms because they are quick to set up and easy to implement. I love the ability for customers to electronically send a recipient a gift card mobile-ly via text or email. 

Some Shopify themes and other online builders allow you to add recipient fields to your gift cards. Check your builder to see what is available. 

Pro Tip: Double-check the service fees associated with gift cards and payment gateways so you don’t have any surprises.

Getting Your Offering Online

Now that you’ve discovered some ways you can use technology to promote your products this season, it’s time to get to work. The holiday season is SUCH an incredible opportunity for businesses to connect with customers and boost sales. 

As you finalize your holiday offering, focus on how it can help your customers this holiday season.

Your designer friend always,