Article written by Hannah Stack, Business Advisor, Western Sydney Business Centre.
It’s November which means Christmas is around the corner and the final business year is coming to an end… 2022 has been another big year for small businesses.
This time of year business owners are often focusing on winding down for the year, finishing client work and having those end of year celebration dinners and drinks prior to taking a much needed break, whether that is a few days or a few weeks.
But one area that can be overlooked during this time is your – Small Business Marketing! Christmas is a fantastic time of year to thank your existing customers for support, whilst also opening the door to a conversation with potential leads or inactive customers.
Email Marketing
Mailchimp, HubSpot, YAMM, whatever email marketing software you use, craft up a ‘Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’ email to your database. This is a great way to also close out the year by thanking them for support, whilst also providing an opportunity to offer your services in the new year. Key content recommendations for this email marketing strategy
● Season Greetings
● Thank you for the support statement
● Reflection of 2022 for business (1-2 sentences… not a novel)
● Any shutdown periods and if there is anything required, direction of where to go
● Button and CTA to services/ offerings in 2023
Google My Business
Google My Business for many small businesses is their shopfront! So ensuring you update this listing with the correct holiday closures. A great feature part of Google My Business is the ability to use ‘Posts’, I would recommend you put a post advising any changes to hours for the holiday period.
Christmas Cards and Gifts
Christmas Gifts whether that be a hamper, branded calendar, or a fruit basket is something many businesses like to offer for their key clients. A great way of saying ‘thank you’, doesn’t always have to be $$$ but can simply be a personalised card or note, branded your business. I recommend clients think about this in mid Nov and jump on the ‘Black Friday VistaPrint’ sales where they can create a personalised card or note to send to clients the first week of December. It is the thought that counts!
Reflect 2022
A key step in coming into 2023 is for business owners to stop and reflect on 2022. The period between Christmas and New Year, when you are not sure what day it is, can be a great time to write down all the goals for the new year. Whether this is a financial goal or a personal goal. Goal setting is a critical part of strategic business planning, and allows for you to keep focused!
