The holidays are a make-or-break time for small businesses. With everyone scrambling to find the perfect gifts for their loved ones, it's more important than ever to make sure your business is at the forefront of their minds. Fortunately, there are several innovative ways to market your business during the holidays. From curating and posting a gift guide to investing in customized packaging, here are nine ideas from the Lindale Area Chamber of Commerce to help you boost your holiday marketing strategy and make this season your best yet.

1. Create a PDF Gift Guide 

If you have a lot of products or services to offer, it can be overwhelming for customers to try and figure out what would be the best fit for their needs. So why not create a gift guide with your top picks and post it on your website or social media channels? You can even create a PDF that people can download and reference when they're ready to make a purchase.

And if you like, you can always use this free tool to divide your gift guide into multiple PDFs which you can then share with different social media groups. This kind of targeted marketing doesn’t take long to implement but it can do wonders for helping to spread the word about your holiday sales. 

2. Post Relevant and Engaging Content

Your social media channels should be active all year long, but especially during the holidays when people are spending more time online scrolling through their feeds. Make sure you're posting relevant, engaging content that will capture people's attention and encourage them to learn more about your business. One great way to start is by creating a holiday-themed quiz that you can share via social media.

3. Host Giveaways and Contests

Giving away free stuff is a surefire way to attract new followers and keep old ones engaged. People love this sort of thing, so why not give them what they want? You can host giveaways in your store or on your social media channels and website if you want!

4. Invest in Customized Packaging

If you sell physical products, take advantage of the opportunity to make an impression with customized packaging. Whether it's festive wrapping paper or personalized thank-you cards, put some thought into how you can make your products stand out from the rest this holiday season.

5. Be Active and Positive on Social Media

As we mentioned before, social media is more important than ever during the holidays. In addition to posting great content, make sure you're also responding quickly to any questions or comments people might have about your products or services. No one wants to wait days (or even hours) for a response during the holiday rush!

6. Reward Your Faithful Customers 

The holidays are a great time to show appreciation for your most loyal customers with special discounts or exclusive preview sales of new products or services, as well as a program based on loyalty points. They'll definitely remember being treated like VIPs when they're making their list (and checking it twice) next year!

7 . Collaborate with Other Local Businesses

Partnering up with other local businesses is a great way to cross-promote and reach a wider audience than you would have been able to on your own. See if there's another business in a complementary industry that you could team up with for some holiday fun.

8 . Sponsor an Event

Nothing brings people together like shared interests, so consider sponsoring an event related to your industry. It could be anything from a charity run/walk to a conference or trade show.

9 . Give Back to a Local Charity

What better way to spread holiday cheer than by giving back to those in need? See if there's a local charity you could partner with this holiday season to help make a difference in someone else's life.

These are just some of the many ways you can get ahead this holiday season by thinking outside the box with your marketing strategy. No matter what route you decide to take, just remember that effective marketing during the holidays is all about being creative, working collaboratively, and most importantly, showing your customers that you care!

If you’re ready to grow your business with the help of great local resources and partnerships, join the Lindale Area Chamber of Commerce.