Are you wishing you’d started your festive marketing earlier? Chesterfield’s Christmas lights have already been switched on. And the shopping season is in full swing.
But don’t worry. There’s still time to boost sales ahead of December 25th. And there are plenty of opportunities for all kinds of businesses, whether you’re in retail or professional services.
The town’s marketing campaign, Destination Chesterfield makes it easy for you with these 5 creative ideas.
1. Team up with a local business to promote or sell each other’s products and services
Have you thought about how you could collaborate with other businesses? This can create access to new customers, raise awareness and increase sales.
How about packaging products and services to create a distinctive new product e.g. a hamper of local produce. You could create reciprocal offers for each other’s customers or put in place a referral system. It could be as simple as just talking about each other’s business to every customer who comes in.
If you are looking to build links with businesses in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire, Destination Chesterfield runs the Chesterfield Champions Network which is made up of over 180 local businesses working together to promote the area.
Find out more about the Chesterfield Champions.
2. Hold a festive event or support an existing event
Why not hold a festive celebration at your business for your key clients to thank them for their business or alternatively get involved in an event that is happening in the local area, for example in Chesterfield, the Festival of Christmas Trees.
Over 20,000 visitors attend the event and the quirkiest, popular trees will be shared across social media channels gaining brand awareness for participating business. Vouchers and calls to action can be left to reach new customers.
Find out more about this year’s Festival of Christmas Trees
3. Run a competition or take part in one
Running a competition over the Christmas period is a great way to generate leads by showcasing your products and services and driving engagement on social media.
Make sure you have a plan to celebrate the winner and follow up with the people who enter as they are interested in your product or service.
If you don’t want to create your own competition, get involved with campaigns that are already happening. At Destination Chesterfield we run a Christmas Stocking Competition where one lucky person wins an amazing range of prizes from local businesses. We showcase those that supply prizes through our marketing channels, highlighting the distinctive businesses in the town.
Find out more about this year’s Chesterfield Christmas Stocking Competition
4. Create a festive experience for the Instagram generation!
We live in a world, where we showcase our lives through images and videos of the experiences we have, the products we buy and the food and drink we consume.
Create something unique and special that links to the values of your core target markets. Done right you will attract new customers through the door, build brand loyalty and have a band full of ambassadors sharing your business and products across social media.
The traditional ones are sometimes the best, Vicar Lane in Chesterfield has created the opportunity to take a picture with Santa. A great example of a a relevant, special experience for families around the world.
5. Be creative with your Christmas Social Media Plan
Social Media should play an important role for all businesses over the festive period.
A previous blog talked about the important role social media plays in driving footfall to town centres and in driving customers to visit your premises.
At Vicar Lane Shopping Centre in Chesterfield, footfall has increased by 29%. Through social media, the centre is interacting with its customers, asking them what they want and developing new events and facilities based on feedback. It is not surprising that giving customers more of what they want keeps them coming back.
Why not run live video events, showcase your products and give advice to people looking for gifts? Or you could simply start interacting with your customers to find out what they like and use the information to shape your future activity.
