Santa isn’t the only one who has to pull his boots on in the middle of the year and start planning for Christmas. If you own or manage a business, now is the time to begin work on your Christmas marketing campaign.
It’s an important event in your yearly marketing calendar and one that can deliver a swag of benefits – if you do it right. Pre-planning is the key but it can get overwhelming, unless you follow some simple steps.
The Message
First up is deciding what you want to say. ‘Merry Christmas from all of us at Acme Pty Ltd’ has been an age-old standby but maybe think of something more personal and original.
Exactly what you say is dependent on your business image and whether your clients prefer traditional messages or something funny or quirky. Come up with a few options and test them with staff members or a few trusted clients to make sure the message is appropriate and clear.
The Look
Next, decide on the imagery for the campaign. Again, are you going down the traditional path or taking a modern approach? If you decide to use original photos, think about how to make them look relevant and festive and ensure you book in a professional photographer well in advance.
The Approach
Your approach will depend on your budget. So, have a good idea of how much you want to spend. Then work out what you can afford from the following:
- Advertisements – are you going to advertise in newspapers and magazines or online?
- Catalogues – if you’re in the retail sector, are you intending to create and deliver a direct marketing campaign?
- Christmas cards – will you opt for an e-card or do you want to impress with personalised printed cards?
- Social media – do you need special social media tiles prepared and/or cover images for your social media pages?
- Gifts – if you would like to send gifts to clients or suppliers, make sure your gift choices fit with the overall theme and are appropriate. (If you are looking for ideas, check this article by Andrew Griffiths for inspiration)
Santa’s Helpers
Of course, your Christmas marketing campaign should be a team effort. Ensure your budget includes money to cover professional support from a marketing/PR adviser, graphic designer and, if required, an advertising agency. This way you can ensure your campaign truly shines.
We hope these tips help you deliver a stress-free Christmas campaign this year. Now onto planning the Christmas party – but that’s a whole different story for another time.