Whether you’re a product or service-based business, it’s never too early to start planning your holiday promotions
After all, the holidays are a key time for you to boost your revenue and grow your business before the year’s out, so it’s crucial you take advantage of the opportunity.
Do you really need a seasonal promotion if you sell services, though? Absolutely. See, while many customers are looking for ways to save money on products as the holiday season approaches, that’s not all they’re thinking about. In fact, the run-up to the holidays is a perfect time for any service-based business to find customers and start the new year on a profitable note.
Below, I’ll walk you through why service businesses need holiday promotions, and together we’ll explore how any service business can run a holiday promotion over the winter period.
Why Service-Based Businesses Need Holiday Promotions
Before we get started, you might be wondering: Do holiday promotions work for service-based businesses? Absolutely. Here are the two main reasons why.
Firstly, not everyone wants a product for Christmas. Some people may prefer an experience, such as cooking lessons. Service-based businesses have just as much to offer during the holidays as product retailers. Secondly, service-based businesses aren’t all that different from product-based businesses. You’re still trying to make money by selling something to a target demographic. Holiday promotions are simply another marketing tool to help you reach this goal.
8 Ways to Run Holiday Promotions for Service-Based Businesses
1. Partner With Other Businesses
To be clear, I'm not talking about partnering with direct competitors! After all, you don’t want to risk losing customers to a rival.
What I mean is teaming up with a complementary business. These companies usually have a similar (but not identical) target audience. Although they operate in a different niche, they create a similar impression to your company. Together, you can create something valuable
and awesome for your customers.
2. Offer a New Seasonal Service
Are you thinking about expanding your business and offering a new service? Hold off until the holiday season. Not only does this help spark renewed interest with your existing customers, but it helps you attract new customers at a time when they’re more inclined to spend money.
Don’t limit yourself to strictly “holiday” themed services, either. Think about what services your customers need and figure out how you can put a seasonal twist on them.
3. Create Gift Bundles
Service-based businesses can offer gift bundles just like product-based businesses.
What you offer depends on your budget. For example, you can offer a discount on your packaged services such as 20% off or get 10 free hours when you book a package. If you can’t afford to offer a discounted service, though, then don’t worry. Simply stick with cost-effective items your customer base is most likely to value.
4. Offer an Early Bird Sale
An “early bird sale” is a discount companies offer to people who sign up for an event a few weeks or months in advance. Promote your discount so people know about it. Send out newsletters and advertise on your social media profiles. Build some buzz around your event.
5. Host a Themed Contest
Get into the holiday spirit with a themed contest or giveaway. Examples include adding a "countdown to Christmas timer and using holiday-themed colors
6. Partner With a Charity
Ensure the charity ties in with your company in some way. Make sure to reach out early and promote on your social media sites.
7. Share Free Resources
It’s the season of giving, after all, and showing off your industry experience might be the nudge someone needs to hire your services. Some examples would be guides, whitepapers and video tutorials.
8. Partner With Influencers
Reach out and ask them if they would like to promote your company. If they have a wide reach, they can help spread the word. Use local ones for even more reach.
How to Run Your Holiday Promotions
OK, so those are some holiday promotions you might run for your service-based business. How do you choose the right promotion, though, and how do you manage the campaigns you do launch? Here are some tips to help you stay on the right track.
Always have a clear goal in mind. For example, maybe you have an underperforming service you’re trying to boost. The clearer the goal, the easier it is to choose the right holiday promotion.
Check out the competition. Think about what successful promotions other businesses in your niche ran in the past. What can you learn from their strategy?
Plan your holiday promotions in advance, if possible. The earlier you start, the more time you’ll have to build hype around your brand and the promotions on offer.
About Neil Patel
He is the co-founder of NP Digital. The Wall Street Journal calls him a top influencer on the web, Forbes says he is one of the top 10 marketers, and Entrepreneur Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies. Neil is a New York Times bestselling author and was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 35 by the United Nations.