4 Ways to 4x Holiday Sales
Want to hear a fun story, about the year I QUADRUPLED my sales in November and December using only organic marketing (mostly Instagram and email) and NO paid advertising? It’s a real crowd-pleaser, because everyone wants that kind of growth!
It's kind of crazy to think about in hindsight, but when I went over the numbers and reflected on my 20202 holiday season there were four main things that jumped out at me — and I’m writing this analysis so YOU can learn my strategies and 4x your product sales too.
For creative business owners, a solid marketing plan can be the difference between a decent holiday season & an epic kickstart to your best year yet! With a little planning, you can attract new customers, showcase your amazing products, & increase your sales. Learn how I did 4x my normal sales in the last 2 months of 2020.
4 Things I Did to Make 4x my Average Sales
1. Diversified my online presence
The first thing I did was DIVERSIFY. I showed up as many places as possible: my website & blog, Etsy, email list, Instagram, guest posts, and Cratejoy. You don't have to stress yourself out about being EVERYWHERE, but pick as many as you can do well so customers have more chances to find you.
I ended up with a ton of Etsy custom orders because I made it to their feature page... Obviously, that's not guaranteed to happen, but you definitely have way more possibility of being "discovered" when you're out there doing your thing!
Here’s a tip: make a list of all the places you already show up to sell your products or services online. Maybe you have a website and an Instagram account, or an Etsy shop and a Pinterest that perform pretty well consistently. Now make a list of platforms and strategies you could add for the holiday season. Could you realistically add an email newsletter that contacts your current list and reminds them of upcoming sales? Could you repurpose content from one social media platform to another?
PS maybe you need help with your marketing strategy or implementation? If you’re ready to start outsourcing some of your marketing — book a free call to see if we can help! The holidays are a great time to test out a new support partner.
2. Optimized my listings
I cut out extra distractions & focused on my best sellers and seasonal products. Too many options tend to overwhelm buyers! Instead of custom cookie listings I promoted DIY Kits, Cookie Gift Boxes, and Hot Cocoa Bombs... All perfect for the season & giftable!
This one is actually a bonus, because there are 2 ways to optimize your listings...
You can optimize by cutting out the "noise" (like I mentioned above). Focus on only the relevant listings and seasonal or holiday-specific products.
And you can optimize the actual listings to make sure they are easier for your dream customers to find!
Here are some tips for setting up *and optimizing* your profiles (aka making the most of the limited space you’re given) so MORE CUSTOMER FIND YOU:
Make sure you are using the same name on all platforms. It can be confusing for customers if your Instagram, Etsy, and website are all under different names. This is a situation where strategic is more important than creative! Use a name that matches your business and very clearly shows people what you’re about... and then use it everywhere. Bonus points if it includes a keyword, or description of your actual product (ex: @tenthousandcookies incorporated my business mission and main product all in one).
Use your “About Me” space to talk about how you can help your customers! Spoiler alert: you usually get a very limited amount of characters in this space. Instead of telling them that you’re a “crafty cat mom who loves coffee” tell them how your “freshly baked and hand decorated sugar cookies make a perfect gift for anyone on their list”
Bonus tip: If you do most of your business locally, make sure you include your city/ state. If you ship, include that info too!
Give them ONE clear call to action. This can be a direct link to your best-selling product listing, an order form, or your contact information. Your goal is to connect with them asap.
Need more help optimizing your listings and clarifying your message or vision? Download the Clarity Workbook. It’s a free pdf that helps you get super clear on your vision and dream clients or customers!
3. Priced for profit
I didn't try to compete with "bargain" prices. Customers have money to spend during the holidays so I made it easy for them to shop with ME. I did the math ahead of time & knew my margins. Instead of creating discounts, I promoted what I knew my customers valued: gluten free baked goods, supporting a cause, & beautiful gift presentation.
What do your customers value most about your business? (Hint: the answer is probably not "you're the cheapest".) How can double down on YOUR thing?
If you always include fun, hand-written notes with orders, remind customers that they can include a note for the gift recipient and you'll hand-write it for them... maybe even throw in a stickers or a piece of candy!
If you donate $1 to a dog shelter every time you sell a handmade puppy bandana, you could include a picture of a rescue pup and postcard that tells your story/ passion around the cause... maybe you donate extra during your holiday promo.
If you’re known for your excellent client experience as a freelancer or service provider, consider adding a bonus perk or promotion: Additional 1:1 or group coaching can be a highly valuable add!
The examples are endless, but the point is: Your customers love YOU and your story. Prioritize your value instead of discounting.
4. I started early
I didn't wait until mid-November to throw together a Black Friday promo (like I had in the past). I launched a seasonal collection & shared it consistently all through October, November, and December. Then, I followed up with extra email/ Instagram posts around Black Friday.
If you're reading this and feeling behind- Don't panic! Starting late is better than not starting at all!
But the more time you have to plan, the easier it is to implement these strategies. So don’t wait… and start planning for next year while you’re at it. ;)
Need help creating a social media plan to promote your sales or specials? Check out the Simple Social Media Planner — My super simple DIY content calendar designed specifically for busy creatives, like you!
What Can You Do To Prepare for the Holiday Season?
Ok, so these ideas are great... but what can YOU do to prepare for your own epic holiday? If you're a creative business owner or freelancer, you have to remember there is a LOT of money being spent during the holiday season... and not just at big retailers. You NEED a promotion plan to get your products in front of more customer.
Here! You can use mine.
The Holiday Promo Plan is a workbook to take you from confused and overwhelmed to more sales in 4 simple steps! (+ There's a checklist to make sure you're ready to roll!)
Get focused
Look over your goals & vision for your business.
Who are you serving with your products?
Why do you love what you make?
How can you put a seasonal or gifting "spin" on your best-selling products?
What can you take away for now (to make sure the best-sellers shine)?
Say "yes" to new opportunities!
Reach out to other sellers to collaborate, share your process on Instagram, connect with top customers individually, be SOCIAL on your social media. 😉 And then get ready to say YES when new opportunities come your way!
You never know what's possible when you put yourself out there.
Check out Booking Magic, my high-converting email templates for booking new clients… fast! They’re designed to deliver ridiculously high response rate when reaching out with cold emails. So use them to reach out for potential collaborators, clients and customers!
Make a plan
Don't wait to get things moving. Start your planning process now so you can get started!
Still not 100% clear on how to put your plan together or how to put it into action? Book a free clarity call and we can work on it together! This is one of my favorite things to help creative clients with.
