“What happened to November? Was I even awake during October?”
Another year has passed you by and it’s already time to start untangling those Christmas lights. But 2015 is not over yet – and neither is your chance to make the most of the holiday spirit for your business; here are 3 last minute Christmas marketing ideas:
#1) Send holiday greetings to your clients, prospects, and employees.
At the very least, send an e-card with animation and a personalized message to your clients and prospects. You may want to include a special offer. Always test your e-mails first and make sure you’re taking the right steps to avoid the spam filter.
Turn up the holiday cheer by mailing holiday cards and including a tastefully designed special offer card inside. You may think this last minute Christmas marketing idea is tacky, but it’s not as tacky as your Aunt Sally’s tacky Christmas sweater. Out of all direct mail pieces, holiday greeting cards have the best open rates – so clients and prospects are guaranteed to at least give it a glance.
Next year, send your card earlier (right after Thanksgiving) so that you’re the first one to start the collection of holiday cards – instead of your card getting lost in the collection on the fridge.
#2) Show clients how much you appreciate their business with something sweet.
Thanksgiving is over, but ‘tis still the season for giving thanks! This year, we stuffed IMPACT-branded mugs with fresh-baked brownies from Oh, What a Cake! and coffee from our new client, Orinoco Coffee. We showcased our clients’ awesome products while expressing appreciation for our other clients.
Another creative way to send a gracious treat is by sending clients cookies with their logo baked into the icing! This idea was inspired by our new Marketing Assistant, Erin McMahon. Erin’s aunt gave her these for her birthday, and Erin brought some in to share with the office:
Yes, Erin and her cat Liz Lemon are officially on cookies. How cool would it be if your clients’ logos were on cookies or a cake? Your clients will love this last minute Christmas marketing idea! Erin’s Aunt found these customizable treats on Sweet Express Images.
#3) Take advantage of fun and creative social media opportunities.
Post a photo of your employees wearing Santa hats. Share your favorite holiday cookie recipes. Shoot a video of the team caroling Feliz Navidad (and singing all of the Spanish lyrics wrong!)
You’d love to wish all of your followers a Merry Christmas on Facebook, but social media may be low on your priority list on Christmas morning. Schedule a “Merry Christmas” post ahead of time using the Facebook scheduler or use a social media management tool such as Hootsuite to schedule a post on multiple platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.)
Read this blog post for more social media hacks.
Social media is the perfect venue to let your business’ personality shine!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the IMPACT Team!
– Sarah Lane, Marketing Specialist
