Essential and Free Marketing Actions in the run-up to Christmas (Part 5)

For many businesses, the weeks leading up to Christmas represent the peak opportunity to generate revenue, followed by a surge from Boxing Day to New Year, as people spend money received as gifts. Optimising your opportunities during this period not only ensures short-term sales are maximised but also creates long-term benefits for future marketing efforts.

This will be a series of six articles, focusing on each one. If you would like to view the entire guide without waiting, which outlines the six essential marketing actions that every business should take, all of which can be implemented in a single day, click here.

5. Start the Conversation and Be Accessible

In the run-up to Christmas and New Year, you may notice an increase in visitor numbers without a corresponding rise in sales. This is the time to make yourself more accessible than at any other time of year.

Phone, email, post, even smoke signals!

Make it clear on everything you post and across all your platforms (website, social media, etc.) how customers can contact you with any questions before they buy. Communicate openly that you want them to reach out and are happy to hear from them. Clear calls to action are proven to increase sales in all marketing situations, but especially when customers face a lot of choice. Remember, other businesses are running their own pre-Christmas campaigns too, so you need to stand out as the business that cares the most.

I often hear from businesses who try to limit these conversations because they find them time-consuming or believe “people waste my time.” However, that “time wasting” is how you win new customers—it is an investment, not a cost. One engaged customer will tell their friends and remember your business in the future.

Be Alive and Chat

Adding Live Chat to a website often meets resistance because of concerns about spam or time-wasting enquiries. Yet, Live Chat is one of the most accessible ways to invite engagement, with a visible chat box displayed on every page and a clear invitation to ask questions.

As an example of how accessibility can boost sales, I worked with a business that had experienced stagnant turnover for several years. After a short period, their sales increased by 25%. When I asked how, they told me they had hired someone to answer the phone and encouraged customers to call—that was the only change. Live Chat also allows you to be initiative-taking. You can see visitors on your site in real time and even engage them with a pop-up question. That of course can seem aggressive, so exercise caution.

While this might sound like a full-time job (which it could be at the extreme), even turning it on at peak times—such as the hour after sending a newsletter—can make a significant difference.

Actions:

• Check your messaging and online content for calls to action. Are they clearly visible and repeated? If you don’t ask for the sale, it happens less often.
• Placement of wording such as "Shop Now", "Sign Up", "Claim Your Offer", "Book Now", and "Contact Us" are all proven ways to achieve a higher take-up.
• Make it absolutely clear on every page that you are happy to answer questions and provide help. The top bar of any website (if it has one) is an excellent place to include a call to action, along with a telephone number or email address.
• Add live chat to your website, even if only for December and the run-up to Christmas. Yes, you’ll waste some time, but you’ll also convert more sales.

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The ' Essential and Free Marketing Action' guide was written by Elliot Forte of Business Think.

If you have any questions or would like to work with Business Think to improve your marketing performance, please email: info@businessthink.co.uk for more details. Click here to download the full guide in PDF format.

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Elliot Forte is a business consultant and Director at Business Think, bringing over three decades of expertise in consultancy, marketing, and strategic planning. Known for his innovative approaches and practical insights,

Beyond his consultancy role, Elliot is a published author of three highly regarded business books that delve into strategy, leadership, and marketing. His passion for knowledge-sharing extends to academia, where he teaches graduate and postgraduate courses in strategy and marketing at university.

Elliot is also the creator of the Life-Led Business Programme, an innovative framework designed to help entrepreneurs and business leaders balance professional success with personal fulfillment, with a focus on individual well-being.

Based in the picturesque town of Bude, North Cornwall, his consultancy work extends well beyond the region, supporting businesses across the UK and North America.

Photo credit for featured image: Any Lane (Pexels.com)