Many retailers who extend their hours or remain open for the holidays in order to increase seasonal sales and attract more shoppers. This might not be right for you and your business, but that doesn't mean that you can't turn your holiday closure period into sales.That's right: Closing on the holidays might actually be good for your business. Any changes made to your usual hours of operation is an opportunity to engage customers and prospects effectively. Here are five ways to turn the days or hours your business is closed into revenue-producing holiday marketing.
Use flyers and bag stuffers to turn the end of one transaction into the beginning of the next. The same point-of-sale marketing collateral used to announce special holiday hours and closures can also:
Post large signs and banners inside your business and signage that is visible from the outside to advertise holiday hours and closures. Knowing that you made an effort to communicate ahead of time and having information about when to come back can help minimize the risk of customer dissatisfaction (and missed sales) should someone arrive to find your business closed during normal operating hours.
Send effective emails to communicate changes to your hours of operation during the holidays gives you the opportunity to increase email marketing frequency and get your messages in front of your contacts more often. It won't be seen as overly promotional because your main intent is customer convenience, but just like with flyers and bag stuffers, you can use these emails to get the attention of holiday shoppers. Send emails announcing changes to holiday hours:
Each of these emails can include directions, ideas, special offers and alternatives (such as directing them to your website) that produce sales.
Share four or five non-promotional posts for every for every overly promotional social media update. After all, it's called a "social network," not a "sales network."Updates featuring changes to your hours of operation during the holidays represent a public courtesy, making it a non-promotional post. And it's another way to help ensure that your customer base is aware of holiday closures in advance. You can also use social media advertising that pairs updates announcing holiday hours with special offers that can be redeemed in advance of the closure, on the day after, or via your website in online-only events.
Your website is often the first place someone will go if they arrive at your business and find it closed on a holiday or to check your holiday hours. Make sure that your hours of operation are prominently displayed on your website's landing page, including any planned closures or changes. You can also use pop-ups, banner-style ads and other triggered website tools to help ensure that site visitors are aware of closures ahead of time, or to get people to sign up for special offers and give them options when they visit your website on days that your business is closed. Letting customers know about upcoming closures or changes to your hours of operation is an important courtesy, and you can use these communications to extend your marketing reach at the same time.
Is your business going to be open or closed during the holidays this season, and why? Let us know in the comments below!
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