Crafting stand out festive messages for your small business
It’s that special time of year when buildings are aglow with Christmas lights and the voice of Mariah Carey can be heard in every corner. The holiday season is all about celebrating with the people around you – including those who support your business. Christmas is a great time to really connect with your audience and share in the holiday excitement. Read on to discover our top tips for festive communications that will help your company boost joy and engagement this Christmas!
Think beyond ‘Season’s Greetings’
Those who have lived in the United Kingdom will know that the John Lewis Christmas ad is something of a national tradition. Since the first televised spot aired in 2007, the department store’s annual Christmas campaign has turned into a big-budget seasonal phenomenon that is widely discussed and even reviewed by news outlets. The John Lewis Christmas ad, which typically centres on a heart-warming story involving a sweet-natured child protagonist, is a great example of a festive campaign that goes well beyond the usual ‘Seasons Greetings’. While a small business can’t be expected to spend millions of pounds on a major televised production, you can still craft thoughtful content that sparks excitement and starts conversations. Don’t be afraid to do more and get into the Christmas spirit!
Give your audience what they want
As with any campaign, success comes from knowing your audience. What are their needs and wants? Do they want to be entertained, inspired or informed? What do they find funny? What information is useful to them? And how might that fit with your brand’s identity, product or service?
Let’s say your business deals in home décor and lifestyle goods, chances are a festive mood board with the right aesthetic will inspire your target customers. Do you specialise in gourmet snacks and condiments for enthusiastic home chefs? Share innovative holiday recipes that include your brand’s ingredients. Cleaning company targeting busy families? Consider a guide to dealing with common festive spills. What is the best way to get red wine out of your white carpet? Independent bookseller selling to dedicated booklovers? Pique curiosity by sharing historical Christmas anecdotes or a list of classic winter reads.
The possibilities are truly endless. The key is to understand what value you can offer to your audience. Emphasise the seasonality of your product or service so people feel that it’s specifically relevant to their needs at this time of year, whether it’s help with party-planning, gift-giving, dealing with a spot of seasonal overwhelm or just embracing the holiday vibes!
Make it interactive
Christmas campaigns are everywhere. Make your content stand out by engaging your audience with an interactive experience, like a game or competition on social media. A clothing company could share different party outfits on Instagram stories and get followers to vote on their favourites, while a beauty brand could run a competition where followers have to comment their winter skincare routine and tag a certain number of friends. Everyone loves a quiz, so why not test your followers’ knowledge of your brand? These activities are a way to inject some fun into your communications while increasing brand awareness and engagement.
Do a holiday giveaway
Christmas is the season of giving after all! Ideally, your giveaway will let winners experience your company’s offering. You could even collaborate with another brand, as long as your products or services complement one another and have overlapping customer bases – think wellness and sports, or fashion and accessories. Make engagement part of the conditions of the giveaway, for example, by asking followers to like your post, share how they would use their winnings and tag their friends in the comments.
Showcase your brand personality
There’s no better time to go big on brand personality. Christmas is all about spreading warmth and laughter, so don’t be afraid to keep it light and personal. Share your silly workplace Christmas traditions or ask team members to pick their favourite items from your product lineup. This not only presents a friendly face to customers but also engages and celebrates the people behind your brand.
These tips for effective holiday communications are our gift to you. May they serve you well this festive season!