E-commerce businesses are in the swirl of the big, bold, bustling holiday season. It can be exciting for many, and overwhelming for many others.
If you own a small e-commerce store, you might be asking yourself:
How will I compete with all of the other options?
How can I accomplish everything as a one-person shop?
Without a huge budget, can I really market my business effectively?
To many small business owners, it could seem like the holiday season is ready to swallow you whole.
BUT… with some simple marketing strategies (and a deep breath), even a one-person, small-budget e-commerce store can turn the holiday season into a profitable one.
4 Budget-Friendly Marketing Strategies for the Holidays
Even if you didn’t start planning months in advance, there’s still time to promote your products and services and turn a profit. The key is to market them in a way that connects to your audience in a meaningful way.
Try these easy strategies:
1. Email Everyone.
If you haven’t yet, compose 3 emails to send to everyone in your contact list – current and past customers, as well as anyone who’s given you permission to market to them. Emails offer a $42 return for every $1 spent, so this is a fantastic ROI!
Use the 3-email sequence to offer a sale or coupon, promote the value of your product or service, and create a sense of urgency. You can keep emails short and friendly, and provide a clear link or button to your store.
Save time and sanity by automating your emails to go out at a day and time of your choosing!
2. Commit to Social Media.
Schedule social media posts from now until the end of the holiday season. Boost engagement by posting images and videos of your products and services. Strengthen your connection to your audience by sharing user-generated content that highlights your business. Promote special sales or discounts with budget-friendly social media ads.
Use Facebook Business Suite to plan and automate your posts on Facebook and Instagram.
3. Update Your Google My Business Profile
Your Google My Business (GMB) profile is, as they say, your place in the modern-day Yellow Pages. A cool thing about your GMB profile? It can evolve as often as you want it to. That means if you want to promote a sale or special seasonal products, you can do it on your GMB profile.
All you need to do is head to your GMB account and add new offers or news. You can also add new high-quality photos that reflect your current products or services.
If you don’t have a GMB profile, or you’re not sure how to set it up, head to our Spicy Lemon Library, where we offer a FREE downloadable guide to help you!
4. Optimize Your Content with Strong Keywords
Shoppers are searching for products and services like yours! And chances are, they’re trying to make an online purchase instead of legging it out in the shopping malls. So, make sure those willing shoppers can find you by inserting strong keywords into your content.
If it’s too much to comb through every single item listing on your site, then consider this: Can you write 2-3 blog posts, with links to your product pages? Can you edit your homepage with some refreshed content? Can you ensure future social media posts include particular keywords and phrases?
Identify strong keywords and phrases that are relevant to your products and services. Where possible, insert these in your web page content, blogs, titles and metadescriptions. Use them when you post to social media, as shoppers often research products there, too.
Rule of thumb? Always use keywords naturally. Never try to cram them into content just for the sake of having more keywords.
This Is YOUR Time!
Try these inexpensive or free strategies to promote your creations, your services, and your ideas. You’ll build on your connections, generate new leads, and finish off the year strong.
Now is the time to celebrate not only the season but an entire year of all the hard work you’ve done! The bells are ringing… they’re ringing for you!
