Promote your holiday sale

Ideas for in-store and online promotions

With tons of advertisements flooding consumers' inboxes ahead of the holiday season, you’ll want to make sure your marketing stands out. So, how can you get your holiday sales noticed so you get more orders in 2023?

Here's the secret sauce: don't wait to start promoting your products. Stand out by launching omnichannel sales promotions to get people licking their lips long before the holidays.

Omnichannel strategies for promoting your holiday sale

Creating a holiday sale promotion strategy goes beyond posting on social media or sending out a few emails, especially if you have a brick-and-mortar store.

Reaching shoppers across different channels can help your brand remain front and center when your customer is ready to buy. In fact, brands that use 3+ channels per campaign saw a huge increase in sales over brands that only used one channel.

Thankfully, creating an omnichannel sales promotion strategy doesn't have to be hard. Check out these 10 innovative tactics to learn how to promote your holiday sales both online and in-store.

1. Create gift guides for target audiences

Not everyone wants to shop around, so recommending 3-4 tailored gifts to your audience takes the guesswork out of shopping.

Guides are especially helpful for niche audiences, like identifying gifts under $50 for teachers or coworkers. Think about who you want to sell your products to and create gift guides to target those audiences.

Work on these gift guides now, and they can drive even more organic shopping traffic to your website by the holidays. Then create coordinated in-store displays with customized holiday signage to help shoppers quickly cross people off their shopping lists.

2. Add some holiday cheer with updated branding

Get into the holiday spirit with themed marketing collateral.

Give your website a holiday makeover by updating your web banners for the season to help promote your holiday sale. You can even create holiday business cards and stationery to add a personal touch to your shipping packages.

These designs are great for your in-store holiday branding, too. Put your new banner design on a sticker and add that to your gift wrapping for an extra special detail.

3. Send holiday cards to your best customers

Giving your best customers a special treat can help spread the word about your holiday sale.

Design a postcard with two coupon codes: one for your customer and another for one of their friends or family members. Exclusive access to certain products or an invite to an in-store pop-up event can compel your returning customers to start shopping early, giving your holiday sale a big boost.

4. Leverage social media influencers

You probably know that influencer marketing can drive a ton of traffic to your e-commerce holiday sale. But did you know that you can use influencers to boost your in-store retail holiday sale, too?

Find some influential members in your community and invite them to the store to share their favorite products. Think of it like Oprah's shopping list, but with local celebrities instead!

Create Instagram Reels, Facebook Live videos, and even blog posts based on what local influencers love in your shop. Don't forget to have them promote your store on their social media accounts.

5. Create a contest

Hosting a contest is a great way to get your products in front of new customers.

Create a landing page or use social channels to let customers enter your contest. If you do a contest before the holidays, you can collect email addresses and remarket to those entrants with an email campaign, too.

Offer everyone who buys in-store an opportunity to join your contest automatically. Just remember: if you'll have to enter their information, make sure you get their permission to send them emails.

6. Take advantage of Google My Business

Customers need to know where and when they can shop, so updating your Google My Business profile is important for local SEO.

Don't forget to update your in-store shopping hours on Google My Business, so customers searching for your store can find you. You'll also want to make sure your address, phone number, website, and store category are correct.

Create a post with a dedicated codeword to unlock a secret in-store discount. That can bring online "window shoppers" into your brick-and-mortar store!

7. Create an event with local businesses

A one-stop holiday shopping spree is ideal for local shoppers. Coordinate a group marketplace with other local businesses and design a flyer to hang around town and post it on social media to promote your sale.

Collaborating with local businesses can help you gain more local press. Be available for interviews and always ask to include a link to your website or social accounts in any article. This is a great way to promote your own holiday sales and help other businesses thrive.

8. Design limited edition merchandise

Give shoppers an opportunity to buy something special with seasonal goods.

Plan early and work with a merchandise designer to create a product that's an easy upsell, like a t-shirt, hat, or keychain. Adding small items to every order can amount to a lucrative boost in sales.

9. Redesign your packaging

Make your orders look like presents!

Send online orders in custom-designed packaging that's ready for gifting. You can also offer gift wrapping services in-store for free or for a small fee. Your customers will love having a beautiful present without the hassle of wrapping.

10. Advertise your holiday sale

Social media ads are a great way to boost sales, but they can also get more people in the door of your store.

Use ads to promote special in-store shopping events, like a "12 Days of Christmas" or "8 Nights of Hanukkah" sale. Create an event ad to drive traffic to your event and encourage shoppers to attend.

Later, you can even retarget attendees with a different ad to encourage them to shop online.

Ready to cover more of your holiday bases? Visit full holiday hub.