Soul Proprietor - How to do a holiday promo for your business

Yes, it’s that time of year again. In a few days, the Christmas holiday will be here and many businesses will be offering all sorts of promotions. From cyber-Monday to Black Friday to Boxing Day…everyone’s got something to sell – and at a big ole discount.

You may find yourself wondering if you should too.

I think it’s a great idea. Not only is a holiday promo fantastic for promoting your business, it’s also a way to spread some cheer and give back to your favorite clients.

A typical promotion might be a special sale or discount such as 20% off your products or a specific service. Or a two-for-one works nicely too. Many businesses offer free shipping or little bonuses as well.

I like those ideas but I also think it’s smart to do something more intimate or unusual.

For example, every year I pick a few clients that I love working with and send them a gift certificate for a tarot reading. These might be clients I’ve worked with forever or a new one that I really enjoyed. I create the gift certificate and email it off with a nice little note on Christmas even. These are always appreciated and a lovely way to say “thank you” for being an awesome client!

This year, I created a fun giveaway game called 20 Days of Tarotmas – where Facebook fans were given Tarotcises and fun games to play for 20 days. Each day, a winning name was drawn from a hat and the lucky person would get that day’s prize (an e-book, e-course or tarot reading). This was a blast to create and my fans had a good time playing along. (This also got a lot of activity brewing on my Facebook page.)

These are both good examples of promos that are personal or unique.

Here are some other ideas to consider:

A special promotion that also gives money to a favorite charity.
Send a gift to a superfan who has been really supportive of your business – even if they have never purchased a thing from you.
Create an online scavenger hunt where people have to find certain clues on different parts of your website or social media platforms.
Try a Twitter party where you offer free mini-tarot readings on a specific day (or other similar services if you’re not a tarot reader).
Include a wee handmade gift or crystal with physical products.
Host a holiday gathering at your shop or other venue. Offer a free mini service or workshop along with some goodies and wine.

These are easy, fun, and good business. Why? Because it feels good to give and a generous business is one that tends to get a lot back too.

One caveat: if your business is struggling, do not use this time to give away the store. Be discerning with your giveaways so that you don’t hurt your bottom line.

Other mini tips:

If you have gift certificates available, remind your clients. This is a time where people are busy so a gentle reminder might keep you on their minds.
And be sure to reward your team. After all, if you have people working for you, you want them to know that they are appreciated.

This is the most wonderful time of the year…to give. So give generously and have a merry biz-mas!

Blessings,

Theresa