What will Santa Bring Your Customers this Year?
I’m sure that I no longer need to explain the importance of good Christmas promotions for increasing client loyalty and for your business in general. What I would like to emphasize in this article is the fact that even B2B companies and even those who offer services, not products, can have well-thought and efficient Christmas promotions.
First of all, let’s see what “efficient” means in this context: a good Christmas promotion is not designed to bring immediate profit, but to build client loyalty and attract new clients. And, let us not forget, they are also meant to bring some more added-value to your clients, not just to your business.
Give your customers the perfect Christmas gift
Let’s see what you could do:
- Actually GIVE something: if you are typically offering free consulting services as a hook to attract new clients, don’t make a big fuss about giving it away freely for Christmas. Instead, try and offer a discount or a free service for a limited period of time. Think of this as an opportunity for a great upsell; after your clients take advantage of this offer, you could always offer them other services at your regular price.
- Vouchers are always great: if you don’t want or can’t offer one of your services completely free, you could offer a significant discount. Anything above 20% off is great; alternatively, you can also give a fixed-value coupon (i.e.: “$100 that you can use for the purchase of any of our services”). This is a great opportunity to encourage people who don’t need your services to announce their friends about this offer. Yes, that means free brand ambassadors for you!
- The personal touch: if you are in the B2B sector, then you know the value of each and every client; you might even know some personal details about them, so perhaps you don’t even have to give them a discount. A personalized gift or even a hand-written card can work wonders. People are pretty fed-up with template e-mails that thank them for their business; distinguish yourself with a truly personal gift.
- Bring people together: if you are in a business that works with a few select clients, a small gathering can be appropriate. This will give people a chance to network and you – a chance to get to know them and their business needs better. One thing to be keep in mind though: don’t host such an event too close to Christmas; most people are usually very busy those days and, if they have a moment to spare, they are most likely to want to spend it with their families.
- Team with others for success: the businesses that you serve have other needs besides your services. Identify them and team up with a company that can answer them; together, you can offer great package deals and help your clients de-clutter their busy holiday schedule by shooting two birds with one stone. Here’s an example: your web development services and the hosting (or social media management) services of another company are 30% off for Christmas.
If you’re still uncertain about which type of promotion suits your business best, you could always ask for the advice of a seasoned marketer.
Photo source: stocksnap.io
