It is so easy to fall into cliches with your winter advertising ideas, so the team at Lancaster Printing are here to help you to think outside of the box. Steer clear of pumpkins, turkeys and red noses and think about the needs and wants of your customers. The cold weather need not stifle your creativity, and by tailoring your marketing efforts to suit the needs of your target audience, you are sure to see sales hot up this winter.
Run Seasonal Promotions
Highlight the products that best suit the season, but don’t be tempted to overdo the sales pitch. Your products and services are great and can speak for themselves. Pique customers’ interest with subtle hints at what you are offering, use stunning photographs and pioneer some new winter hashtags to get people talking.
Let customers know what items are on special offer for Black Friday and which look to be selling fastest ahead of Christmas so that they can make sensible purchasing decisions without the pressure that is often associated with winter sales tactics.
Appeal to Your Loyal Customers
Give your loyal customers the earliest possible heads up as to any special events, promotions or sales that you will be running. Make good use of your social media feeds to contact regular subscribers, use push advertising via email marketing and consider sending out little tokens of your appreciation through the post.
A traditional technique that has been declining in popularity but really should be brought back is that of sending Christmas cards with a small free gift included to those customers who have supported your business this year.
Attract Attention
Consider which areas of your local environment will see an increased footfall in the run-up to Christmas, and tailor your outdoor advertising to raise your brand’s visibility and catch the attention of as many potential new customers as possible.
You could hire a stall at a local outdoor Christmas market or open a pop-up shop in a bustling shopping centre to tout your wares. Offer free samples or a free gift such as a pen, magnet or reusable bag to entice people to visit your stall.
Corporate Gifts
Show your appreciation for your sponsors, employees and customers by distributing carefully considered corporate gifts during the giving season. Choose a promotional product that will make the recipient smile and think fondly of your business every time they see or use it.
Community Involvement
An easy and highly effective way to raise your profile through the winter is to participate in one or more of the raft of seasonal activities that will be happening in your local area. You could sponsor a hamper at a local school fair, run a stall at a community Christmas fair or help your local food bank to distribute food parcels to local families in need. Every bit of press coverage that you receive at this time of year will increase your brand’s goodwill factor and keep you in the thoughts of potential customers.
Look Back with Fondness
While it’s very important in business to always look forward, the end of the calendar year presents a unique opportunity for businesses to reflect on the successes of the year, to share their ups and downs and to thank their loyal customers for sticking by them.
By providing a useful and interesting insight into the successes of the last year and your plans for the future, you can encourage customer engagement and make sure that yours is the first business that they think of as they enter a new year.
Sending this newsletter through the post allows the opportunity to include a little token of your appreciation too!
So, in conclusion, promoting your business during the winter need not be a daunting task. Have some fun with it and consider opportunities for increasing community engagement. We hope that these winter advertising ideas have got your creative juices flowing. To discuss the promotional products that are available to reward, thank and entice your customers and loyal followers, please contact Lancaster Printing today. We look forward to helping you craft a winter advertising strategy that will stand you in good stead for success in 2024.
