Prepping your business for holiday marketing

Even if the Christmas Season isn't around the corner, there are a handful of other holidays you need to concern yourself with in order to develop a marketing plan. The 4th of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Valentines Day, and other holidays all provide your company with a great opportunity to reach out to new and existing customers. No matter what time of the year it is and what holiday you are gearing up for, here are some tips that will help you properly market your business:

1. Plan ahead. Get out your calendar and write down all of the holidays for the upcoming year. Plan out your marketing strategy well in advance so you aren't trying to throw it together at the last minute. Your holiday marketing strategy may change with the economy and the needs of your customers so it's a good idea to plan ahead. This way you can set aside some spare cash for the marketing tactics you want to use and you can alter them without redoing the entire thing if there are problems.
2. Stay open. Depending upon which holiday it is, try to stay open. Can you get by on a limited staff? A lot of businesses close up because they think they won't have any business when in fact there is a lot of business to be had. Try it this year and see if you actually get enough business on that day to justify remaining open if only for part of the day.
3. Seasonal catchphrases. Another great option you have is to consider some of the fun catchphrases you can use with the holiday. It's a give that Christmas and New Years have some great catchphrases you can use but there are some fun ones that go along with the other holidays as well. You don't have to slash prices to get customers into the door, you really can use the catchphrase to peak their interest and then provide them with quality customer service to make the sale.
4. Avoid big sales. Having more people in your store won't always mean you will earn more money. It simply means you have a lot of people in your store. When you have a big sale, it can cost you more money in the long run. If you want to stick to an offer to get them in the door, keep it simple with a few products instead of a 10% discount off an entire order.
5. Promote your business. Another big part of getting ready for a holiday falls to the promotion of your business. What are you doing to let customers know you have products they need to come and buy? Since a number of companies will be having big sales and will also be advertising their business, you need to be extra creative to find a way to promote your business. Talk to some people in your network about doing a combined marketing effort. This is common for summer holidays as a couple of companies will get together for a large hot dog luncheon in the parking lot of another company.

A large part of successful holiday market comes down to your communication with your customers. What are you doing to build relationships with your customers when they are in the store? Do they feel like you value their business? Treat them with respect and be sure to ask them how they are and how they are doing to show them that you are truly interested in their needs. The holidays throughout the year are great for businesses as it's a given that you know what type of marketing pitch to follow. Pay attention to the holidays and find ways to use them in your marketing strategy.