The holidays can be a daunting time for any business owner. The competition between establishments is at its toughest as everyone wants to take maximum advantage during this time and increase business. The good news is that customers are generally in a spending mood and are likely to spend money at your store as well. To further entice them, you will need to design and implement a promotional strategy to put yourself out there to a maximum number of people. 

Thanks to the internet, marketing can be inexpensive yet very effective if utilized correctly. As long as you execute these strategies properly, they will yield results for your gift shop.

Email Marketing

Most people would overlook email as a form of marketing but it has great benefits and is highly effective in client engagement and retention. You will use it for your store as well. Collect email addresses from shoppers, either online via your online store, or simply asking them from repeating customers in person. Create a mailing list and send out emails to them regarding various promotions. You will need an email maker, like PoserMyWall, for this purpose. You can select from the various Christmas email templates they have on offer to use as a base design, tweak and create something of your own. 

Using a template saves time and effort which you can dedicate elsewhere. It is also cleaner and better optimized as well. Once you have the content for your email, simply load it up as the body of your email, select your email list and send.

In the example below, the designer chose a Christmassy red color as the background and opened with the sale and discount offer keeping in mind the time of the year. This captures the reader’s attention and engages them to take action by clicking the button given there. Something similar can work for you, even the template in question, which you can edit according to your specifications.

Discounts And Deals

The holidays are a time of sharing and giving, and you can take part in the holiday spirit by offering discounts and deals to your customers. As a gift shop, people will be coming to you to purchase gifts for their friends and family, to share in the giving spirit. By offering them special discounts and package deals, you will create a greater perceived value for your store and your products. 

They will think that they get a bigger bang for their buck at your store and will be compelled to buy things from your gift store. The better discounts and deals you can offer, the bigger impact it will have. 

Social Media Promotion

Social media is your best friend when it comes to inexpensive sources of marketing and promotion. There is little to no money involved and you can have a wide reach, depending on the platform. As such, you may advertise your store and its special holiday deals, discounts, and sales that you may prepare for the season. 

It is best to post on major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and even Pinterest. These drive the biggest engagement and you can showcase the goods on offer along with the promotional material. Be sure to include a link to your website or online store, a phone number, or an address to your physical store in the post text so your customers can take action. 

Last-Minute Shoppers

There are always buyers who are a bit late with their holiday shopping and often do it at the last minute. These people are more frantic to buy their gifts and such and make excellent targets for your promotions. To target them, run a special limited campaign during the last days of the holidays.

You may offer bigger discounts during this time as well, such as on Christmas eve. Not only will you target last-minute shoppers, but you might also entice regular customers to purchase more goods from you. The key is to create a greater perceived value. If you can create the perception that these last-minute deals have greater value than others, then you can be sure your store will be packed with customers. 

The holidays are a time of giving and that means that you are bound to receive business in some form and scale. However, a robust marketing strategy geared for the holiday season ensures that your gift store does so, and on a greater scale. The key to your success is consistency and creating a perception of greater value. Why should someone buy things at your store? Because of the perception that you are offering better value for their money with your products. If your marketing strategy creates that perception then it will be successful and you will have a steady stream of customers this holiday season