The holidays are not only a time for festive events and spreading good cheer, but they’re an important time to connect with customers and make a lasting impression. While customers are doing their holiday shopping, they’re inundated with ads and information. That’s why, this time of year, it’s more important than ever to use an integrated marketing strategy to reach customers with the same message in multiple touchpoints.
Show your customers appreciation by sharing your holiday sentiments, and be prepared by printing your projects now. The materials listed here are a great starting point to ensure you’re making the most of your holiday marketing.
Holiday cards
Custom holiday cards are a must-have for reaching people in a personal way this holiday season. Here are some ideas to reach your connections at any stage in their relationship with your business:
Current customers: Thank them for a great year.
Prospective or lapsed customers: Remind them of your brand and offerings.
Employees, partners, and stakeholders: Send details looking back over the success of the year.
There’s no harm in slipping in a discount code or special offer to give even more reason to shop with you! However, keep the main message focused on holiday cheer. This is not the place for a super sales-y message. Holiday cards are a great avenue to share your brand’s personality and make a personal connection – take on a tone that feels genuine to your brand, whether that’s quirky or sentimental.
Corporate gifts
Promotional products make for great gifts for employees, partners, and clients. Plus, they increase brand visibility! Consider unique products that can be used over and over again. Each time your recipient wears your branded apparel or uses your branded tech or cookware item, your brand will be top-of-mind.
To level up your corporate gifts this year and generate buzz, delight your connections with a gift box containing multiple items tailored to themes of your choosing! Useful gifts provide a unique way to make a positive connection with your brand.
Sale signage
Ensure your holiday sales are properly communicated with signage. Traffic around your store will increase with holiday shopping, so it’s a great time to attract new customers or encourage existing customers to try a new product. Limited time offers will entice these shoppers to make a purchase now. In time, these new customers could become your best brand ambassadors.
Use window, wall, and floor graphics, banners, flags, and sidewalk signage to advertise your sale both inside and outside of your store. Your store’s space is a free canvas for advertising, so be sure to make use of your own valuable space.
Mailers
Using every-door-direct-mailers (EDDM) and direct mail as part of your integrated marketing strategy will help your message reach your target audience and influence sales. The marketing rule of 7’s says that someone must see a message seven times before they act on it.
While digital marketing can account for some of these seven touches, businesses need to advertise in a variety of channels so their target is reached at multiple touchpoints. Ideally, your mailers end up on your recipients’ desks or magnetized to their fridges, but even if they aren’t kept, simply seeing the mailers counts as one of the seven touchpoints that prompts a sale.
Point-of-purchase print materials
While you have the attention of your customers at check-out, increase sales by promoting new products, exciting offers, and special events with point-of-purchase displays. Current customers are an especially important audience, as they have big potential to become repeat customers and eventually, brand loyalists. Point-of-purchase displays can encourage them to try a new product or simply return to your store.
The display materials can be as simple as flyers, or they can involve an eye-catching free-standing structure. Additionally, coupons or bounce backs attached to the receipt can encourage customers to return for a special deal.
Planning your holiday campaign
When you are considering which items you need to print this holiday season, plan a cohesive holiday campaign throughout all your channels, both digital and physical. The holiday campaign should be in line with your regular branding but serve a special purpose – to advertise a sale, engage current customers, or increase brand awareness by reaching new people with your business’ benefits.
Whatever your marketing goals are this holiday season, printed signage and materials are essential to amplify your message. Get creative with your printed materials. Consider using special designed boxes with your products, or even designing custom wrapping paper! It’s these special touches that will keep your business top-of-mind long after the holidays have passed.