Holiday Marketing for Small Businesses

For many business the months leading up to the holidays can be the "make or break" season for your year-end business goals. The Holiday season can account for anywhere from 20-40% of your annual sales. 2013 is projected to increase almost 4% over 2012 for sales in November and December, that equals out to over $602 billion dollars. I don't know about you, but I sure could use any percent of that!

So the question is, when should you start planning your Holiday marketing? The answer is, NOW! Actually having a plan in place by July is ideal, but with the busyness of life and running a business, it's easy to put aside events that will happen months from now. If you can manage to carve out time in July, planning this early will  cut out some of the holiday stress for you.

Your competitors have most likely already started with their Holiday marketing campaigns, they want to take advantage of every moment they can. So you need to hop on the band wagon and get your little tail moving! It's not too late, even if its mid-November.

There are many different ways to plan and implement a Holiday Marketing Strategy. We're going to focus on four aspects of what you can do that is quick and budget friendly.

Fall is in full swing now, are you embracing the Bold Rich Jewel Tones of it?

Pantone has released its fabulous fall color palate and its rich deep jewel toned colors of the season.

You may wonder, are these colors only for fall fashions? Nope, you can use them many different ways. Here are some examples:

• Your Emails – Get rid of the neutral and pastels that you have been using for years. Make an impactful punch of color. Don’t go too crazy, keep it simple, but be bold. If you’re nervous about the colors, make only your Call-To-Action pop with color.
• Your Business – Try a new marketing channel you haven’t used before. Create a Facebook Page for your business and make it stand-out. Create a Pinterest account and take pictures of your products featuring the new fall trend colors.
• Your Office – Do you need to wake-up your employees (or yourself)? Change the scenery; add some color and boldness to the environment. A fresh coat of paint on one wall (you can always change it in the spring), new pillows on the office sofa, a piece of artwork showing off the rich colors of this season.
• Your Work Attire – You may not be able to or even want to change your wardrobe every season, but you can try some new accessories enriched with this seasons colors. A belt, necklace, shoes, or even socks!  Or girls, a new handbag; go bold and let that be your statement piece!

The possibilities are endless, and what’s even better, the season will change, the trends will move forward and you can have an exciting year of making a difference!

Still Unsure about Social Media?

 

Are you're still unsure about Social Media? 

Just not sure if it really matters or is the right thing for your company?

Do you understand that social media is important, but the owner just doesn't get it yet?

Here are some 2012 stats that show how important it is for you to be proactive with Social Media. You don't have to be a part of it "all", but just what pertains to your company. Start off slow, with one social network and work your way to the next one.

Does it seem very overwhelming to get started? Veris Marketing & Design specializes in Social Media development and management. We would be happy to sit down with you and help you start 2013 with a bang!

Each day...

- Facebook users spend 10.5 Billion minutes on this social network - 58% of FB users return daily

- 250 million photos are added daily on FB

- Over 500 million likes on FB

- 1 out of every 7 minutes spent online is spent on...Facebook! - --- Google+ has 75 million daily users

- Linkedin has 25 million.

- 340 million tweets per day

- 1 million new accounts created everyday

- 720 million minutes were spent on Pinterest mobile app in 2012

- 600 million daily views on YouTube

- 67% of customers will "like a page" on FB to save %25 or more

Want more social networking statistics and facts? Check out the infographic...

Vision

Vision and mission statements are crucial for moving your

company forward. 
Have you ever heard the statement "a man without vision will perish"? Well, that goes for companies big and small too. If your company does not have vision, then how does it know where it's going? Learn how to develop this significant step in moving your company successfully into 2013.

An uncertain economy is one of the best times to get things together and figure out where you are going. Don't get swept up in all the let-downs.  Having a plan laid out for the here-and-now is as important as having a plan for your the future of your business. Doing this will require work, a commitment and some time. But a well-thought out vision that gets your business on the right path along with your associates on board will equal great success.

You will need a well established vision whether you're working for yourself or running a large corporation.  Taking the proper steps will keep your vision from only becoming a wish.