Through its USHCC Navigates Small Business program, the organization empowers small businesses and supports their marketing ideas and other business needs for free.

On this occasion, as part of the holiday season, the USHCC, in addition to offering 5 practical tips to help retailers relaunch their sales, also shares 2 ideas to help them boost interest in their brands, products and services after the December sales boom ends.

“No matter what industry you’re in, the following tips can give you creative ideas to promote your company in intriguing, different ways. Here’s to your increased sales!” notes USHCC.

5 Tips to use before Christmas 

1. Ramp up emails — Email marketing should have a regular cadence throughout the year, either once a week or once a month depending on the type of business and budget. A nail spa or supermarket, for example, often have a lot of competition, so they should be emailing their customers more often. A construction company, on the other hand, might use email marketing once every two months with news, introducing their new work crews, reporting location openings in other regions, or offering packaged services to remove debris or paint in the exterior of a building. As you get closer to the end of December, it is advisable to send emails more frequently. Shoppers will pay more attention to their inbox for deals and gift ideas.

2. Use video — Video remains one of the most engaging and compelling forms of content online. For that reason, it's important to feature any holiday sales or merchandise through a short video either on social media or in ads. Adding subtitles instead of just audio, so people can watch with the sound turned off in public spaces or at work, provides additional points.

3. Leverage PR — Newspapers or television stations may be looking to interview local merchants about the trends of the holiday shopping season. Consider reaching out to reporters or news organizations to make yourself available as an expert source. Readers and viewers who see the segment will most likely visit your store or website afterwards. 

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— USHCC (@USHCC) November 18, 2022

4. Encourage reviews — Encourage your buyers to leave positive feedback after making a purchase from your business. Potential buyers often look at the quantity and quality of reviews a small business has before deciding to buy there.

5. Google Ads — It's common for buyers to wait until the last minute. Be smart with your Google ads and target shoppers by using keywords like "last minute gifts" in your ad copy. If you can guarantee delivery by a certain date, highlight it in your advertising.

2 Tips for after the season

The USHCC encourages merchants to implement these strategies to increase revenue in the new year:

1. Entice gift card holders — Gaining popularity because recipients can buy what they really want with them, gift cards offer a valuable mechanism to attract customers during the off-season. Shoppers, who come to use their gift cards, are already interested in your merchandise or services, they are in the store ready to spend. While you have their attention, tell them about special sales and promote new products; by doing so, these customers may end up spending beyond the amount on their gift card.

2. Offer deep discounts — Everyone loves a good deal. In January, if you still have any Christmas-themed merchandise or products in low demand, mark them at a significant discount or offer it as “buy one, get one.”

Request an appointment with a USHCC consultant to learn how to increase your sales this season by clicking here.