The holiday shopping season is upon us, which means an increased opportunity to boost sales and revenue before closing out the year. For service-based industries that slow down during the last few months of the season, here are 9 simple holiday marketing tactics to drive awareness to your brand.

Create a Special Holiday Package

Put a spin on your usual service offerings exclusive to the holiday season to create a new demand for an existing service.

  • Give your service a holiday theme. You can easily add a festive twist by finding some way to offer something specific for the holiday season. For example, portrait photographers commonly offer holiday-themed photo sessions to book more clients.
  • Provide a holiday-related discount. Encourage customers to bring a toy or food item for charity in exchange for a discount on your service. Just be sure that the price of the item you request is a fair trade for the amount of discount they receive.
  • Focus on the upcoming year. A business that provides personal growth or business consulting services could offer a new program to help customers set their goals for the new year. Fitness centers very commonly offer exclusive pricing and membership bonuses for members who sign up in anticipation of fulfilling New Year’s Resolution fitness goals. You’ll be able to capture the attention of holiday shoppers, as well as secure new future business.

Reward Loyal Customers

email marketing holiday tips

Rewarding holiday shoppers with exclusive discounts is a great way to bring interest back into your services for future business throughout the year. Look back at your contacts and clients from the year and reach out to them with a special loyalty promotion. Keep your company on the top of their minds with a holiday email marketing campaign. Our favorite tools for easily sending customer loyalty emails are:

  • MailChimp
  • Constant Contact

Promote Gift Certificates

Gift certificates are a great way to generate income in the slower months where customers are less likely to book your services. Boost gift card sales with social media. Drive awareness by highlighting gift certificates online from your homepage. If you aren’t currently accepting gift certificates on your website, there are a number of online tools you can use to your advantage. Our favorites are:

Partner Up with Cross Promotions

Collaborating with other local businesses in your area is another intuitive way to generate brand awareness. Companies can partner with other businesses to combine services and cross-promote during the holidays.

  • Co-sponsor for a good cause – such as a toy or food drive.
  • Collaborate with local influencers on social media.
  • Trade counter space for promotional materials.

Hold a Social Media Contest

Leveraging social media tools like Facebook and Instagram to promote a contest or giveaway can be a useful strategy for driving engagement and interested in your company. You can offer a free service in exchange for engagement on your post.

Host a Holiday Event

holiday marketing event

A holiday event open to the public to create a buzz about your business. This brings a ton of potential customers during a less active season and lets people see the services your company offers without having to make any commitments. Don’t forget to have guests register online to attend for an accurate account for food, refreshments, and a great way to collect email addresses for future use.

  • Fundraiser or Charity Events
  • Holiday Party
  • Game Night (Holiday Trivia, Bingo, etc.)

Send a Holiday Direct Mailer

Don’t overlook the power of print marketing. Sending a direct mail campaign during the holiday season can significantly improve awareness of your service and can compliment your other holiday marketing efforts. Let customers know if you’re running holiday specials, offering gift certificates, or hosting a holiday event. Keep your content relevant and provide something of value to keep your customer feel connected to your business.

Be Sure Your Website is Up To Par

Make sure your website is up to date with your latest specials and services. Check that your website forms are working and your contact info is up to date in case customers want to get in touch with you. If you’re running promotions on other sites or in print materials, make sure browsers can find the information easily from your home page. Working with a professional website team can help ensure your pages are following best practices for search engines. Review all directory listings and submit holiday hours to Google Business to improve your local SEO and make sure clients can find you across the web.

Give Back to the Community

As a service brand, you’ll likely benefit from being active in the community during holidays. Give back to your local service area by running a toy drive, volunteering, and giving back to families in need. Not only will it keep the holiday spirit alive, but it will also show you provide exceptional service outside of your company, building trust and loyalty with your local community.

Create Your Holiday Marketing Plan with Adams Media Group

Adams Media Group is a professional marketing agency that develops creative solutions for service-based businesses like yours. Get in touch with us today to bring the holiday spirit to your brand’s end of year marketing.

holiday marketing ideas for service businesses