What does Christmas look like for you and your business? Is it your busy season or your time to relax with your family? Or maybe, a bit of both? Or maybe it doesn’t affect your business at all?
For me, it doesn’t mean much. I don’t take time off just because it’s Christmas (except maybe the day). However, it does change the way I work as my ideal clients’ priorities temporarily shift.
When to start mentioning Christmas
Are you too eager if you already have? No!
Every supermarket and big brand has been stocking (and selling!) their Christmas items for ages already. We all see it, we all complain about it, and we all get tempted by a stocking filler or two – but as a small business owner, it can still feel far too early to even mention the C-word.
So, are you behind if you haven’t started yet? Also no! When you start talking about Christmas is going to depend on:
- When your target audience is likely to start buying. A lot of people are already shopping, planning and organising – but we’re not panic buying yet.
- What you’re selling. If you need to stop taking orders with enough time to deliver, you are going to need to start sooner than those who are open and working right up until Christmas Day!
- Your personal choice. As a small business owner, you are in control of your message, and you get to decide how and when to do things.
Sometimes, your Christmas campaign won’t even line up with Christmas at all. For example, I sell social media support, and I’m going to shift to my January promotions from mid-November.
What your audience needs to know
It’s so easy to get lost in trying to create perfect posts that sometimes we forget the basics. Yes, marketing is about showing your audience why they need you and how you will solve their problem, but it’s also about making it easy to click that “Buy now” button.
Here are 3 things your audience needs to be able to find out quickly:
- How much does it cost? Is it within their budget?
- When’s their deadline if they want it before Christmas?
- How do they get started and make that purchase?
It can feel icky to share those salesy posts, but remember that everyone who follows you does so knowing that you are a business. At the end of the day, that means you need to sell!
Lean on the community
They say that being a small business owner is accepting that your greatest supporters are strangers on the internet. I disagree. Just because we have met through social media and never met each other in person, that doesn’t mean that we are strangers. We support each other, we learn from each other, and we lean on each other. The small business community is a powerful one – and one made of genuine people driven by their passion.
My point is, the Christmas season can sometimes feel competitive, icky and a bit lonely. But it doesn’t have to. As small business owners, we can support each other!
Join me for free for the Ace Christmas Collab, a dedicated Facebook Group to support each other through the seven weeks leading up to Christmas. This is an opportunity to learn, to be motivated, to work together and to get more eyes on your business. Find out more here!
I help passionate small business owners with their social media so that they can create a powerful and supportive space to promote their business.
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