The Christmas period usually means a hefty commercial frenzy from people all over the globe. Presents and celebrations with family, friends and colleagues become the main item on the agenda.

However, despite this burgeoning demand, it can still be tricky to drive sales up during the holidays. After all, competition will be at an all-time high and if you don’t make the effort to stand out, the New Year will not start in the way you had intended.

One of the leading graphic design agencies in Bristol

Don’t worry; we’re not here to spoil the party. As one of the leading graphic design agencies in Bristol, we’ve had ample experience in helping local businesses inject a bit of quality and buzz around their product during the holiday season. We’ve put together several ways in which you can make a difference to your campaigns by using effective Christmas campaigns built on solid design.

Christmas Competitions

People are constantly being sent promotions, discounts and pushy sales emails and during the holidays this practice goes into absolute overdrive. Why not buck that trend and run a competition instead?

The trick in getting people interested is sending an attractive themed email that gets the message across quickly and effectively. Let people know that they have a chance of getting their hands on a fantastic prize at no cost and they’ll beg to enter. Add some juicy graphics that will attract opt-ins, as people will hit the ‘delete’ button with no mercy when emails are bland and boring.

The prize should be something that people would actually want, but that won’t necessarily set you back hundreds of pounds (depending on how generous you’re feeling!). Now what follows is what makes this strategy a killer one-two punch to drive up your sales next year.

What you want to do is combine your prize with a free trial of one of your products or services. If you sell a monthly gardening service, for example, offer a 1-year contract with the first month 100% free. The winner can then opt out after one month, but if you offer them what they’re looking for chances are they’ll stick around.

Lastly, have people enter the contests simply by sharing or ‘liking’ your content on Facebook. That way you get some value social media traction as part of the package!  

Themed Infographics

We’ve discussed the importance of visual content in one of our previous blog entries (Cutting Edge Methods to Supercharge Your Social Media Marketing) and Christmas is a perfect time to invest in the commission of a holiday infographic.

But how do you tie in Christmas with what your business is selling? Think outside the box and sprinkle a little bit of creativity and the ideas will come flooding in (or talk to us, we have plenty of experience!). The key is to keep the concept tightly knit and centred on the holidays. 

For example, if your company sells unique gifts and trinkets, why not send out an infographic that highlights your top ‘alternative’ gifts for your boyfriend or girlfriend? Most people struggle to find something that stands out from the high street, so something like that would definitely generate a little buzz on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

Remember that your infographic should be attractive and should really pop out the screen. Use iconic figures wrapped around your message and people will be more receptive.

Spread the Christmas Cheer to Your Website

When the Christmas seasons rolls around, don’t limit your decorations to your office desk. Instead, give your website a Christmas-jumper style makeover. Add joyous amounts of green and red to your colour scheme and sprinkle a little bit of holiday design throughout your site. By using the right design elements, people will instantly know that they can take advantage of holiday deals on your website.

If you sell products, turn your site into a fully-fledged solution for the struggling Christmas shopper. Personalised products or handpicked selections work particularly well, as people will often be exasperated with choice and will want to have the solution handed to them on a plate. Funnel shoppers to their desired sections by using a custom landing page built exclusively for the holidays. These convert incredibly well compared to small ads forced into the usual home page.

If your business doesn’t run a traditional physical product e-commerce site, this advice still applies to you. People that are shopping during the Christmas period are always on the lookout for deals, so even if you can’t market your product in a Christmas package, you can still run special deals and promotions that are only valid during the holidays.