Here are 31 Christmas marketing tips we are using for our clients. Did I miss any that would apply to you?
1, Use “Merry Christmas” in your marketing. Politically correct can cost you. Studies found retailers who aren’t shy about saying “Merry Christmas” see sales rise as a result. In fact, millions of Christians are now boycotting companies which refuse to acknowledge Christmas.
2. Create a gift center on your website. Everyone needs gift ideas – or at least the reassurance that what they’re looking for would make a great gift. So use a prominent icon that leads to a gift center to improve response.
3. Make it easy for customers to find out what they want. If you have multiple products available this Christmas season on your site, let customers sort by variables such as category, price range, age and interest.
4.Show “most popular” or “unique” gift selections. Customers have more confidence in their purchase when they know others are rushing to buy the same product.
5.Offer gift cards to boost Christmas profits. According to surveys, 65% of the people prefer a gift card to all “nonessential” holiday gifts. It’s regularly in the top 5 of all gift choices.
6. People like to see the words “most popular gifts.” It gives them confidence to know that others are also rushing to get these gifts. Your site must include an area that highlights these items.
7.Encourage last-minute Christmas shopping. Use email or texting to offer last-minute deals. You help customers, you clear out inventory, and you come to be known as a go-to site for fast and efficient service.
8.Give customers good reasons to shop with you. Be clear about why they need to buy your product. Reinforce the message with testimonials, a vibrant color, design scheme – and benefit-rich copy.
9.Make sure you’re paid search is relevant to your landing page. You won’t generate sales if customers click through and can’t find what they went there for. Your landing page must make it clear that they came to the right place.
See landing page video briefing here.

10. Expand paid search keywords. They won’t find your ad to click through in the first place if the search words aren’t updated, relevant and incisive.
11. Double-check your offer, guarantee, shipping and return policy. Most customers want 5 things from you: Free shipping, plenty of product details, an easy return policy, prepaid shipping for returns, and multiple product images. Create and send several print and email sales letters. Tell them to “order now” and state clearly the last day that they can order so that they are able to receive their orders by Christmas. Send the final email on the last day your customers can do this.
12. Create and send several print and email sales letters. Tell them to “order now” and state clearly the last day that they can order so that they are able to receive their orders by Christmas. Send the final email on the last day your customers can do this.
13. Countdown Meter. Place on your website a “countdown” meter or ticker to show the “shopping days until” that final day. It’s fun, has good graphics, and it will cultivate tension and urgency for the customer to buy from you.
14. Review your online shopping cart. As always, it’s critical to simplify your customer shopping experience by using at most 2 click-throughs. This way you don’t lose orders or leads. Review copy appropriate for Christmas.
15. Refocus your web ads to reflect the Christmas season. Tweak or fully revise the direct response copy in them to reflect this time of year.

16. Make sure your re-targeting is powerful … and Christmas oriented.

See our retargeting video here.
17. Do it Right. Aggressively use Twitter and Facebook to offer specials. Don’t just “tweet” or “post updates”… get in there and use “#hashtags” and “likes” to grow exposure exponentially. Ask yourself, “Am I doing all that I can?”
18. Maximize mobile.  This is crucial to success this year. Hopefully you’re already collecting cell phone numbers for texting. If not…start now.
19. Make the call or text. The rise of mobile marketing and the success of texting (with value!) make your last minute deals and Christmas direct marketing far more immediate. Communicate to your lists often during prime shopping hours which are: Evenings, weekends, and lunch hours. Incorporate location and demographic data, target buyers based on their preferences – stores, products, and price range. A powerful tool
20. Where are you located? Your website should offer store locators (including via text messaging) so that customers searching the web to buy from you can find the easiest – and closest – place to do it.
21. Coupons! Mobile coupons are great whether it is an offer in the checkout line to capture a phone number in exchange for 15% off, or bounce back deals that appear a week later to encourage repeat business. Such coupons have up to 15 times a response of paper coupon offers – and they’re faster.
22. Urgency email. Use your subject line to communicate immediacy and vitality: “Get Two-For One on all Gift Wrap, Ribbons, Buttons and Bows – Today Only!”
23. How-to email. Offer information and help with your customers’ Christmas needs: “How to Plan the Perfect  Children’s Christmas Party. “
24. Command email. Don’t use excessive force here. Make the subject line a call for action: “Check Out the New Website Arrivals.”
25. Help prospects easily find what they need. If you have multiple products available through the Christmas season, be sure your site lets prospects sort by variables such as category, price range, age, and interests
26. Video. Now’s the time to use some powerful Christmas VIDEOS!
27. Double-check your offer details, guarantee, shipping procedures, and return policy for clarity. Customers want to see these 6 things on your website:

• Free shipping for orders
• Plenty of product details
• An easy return policy
• Prepaid shipping for returns
• A clear guarantee
• Social proof: ratings and testimonials

28. Help prospects easily find what they need:If you have multiple products available through the Christmas season, be sure your site lets prospects sort by variables such as category, price range, age, and interests.

29. Facebook Custom List. Put up Two customs lists:

• Past Christmas buyers
• Past Gift buyers

Then run ads in the newsfeed.
Also based on this, do a look-a-like campaign to both groups.
30. Use direct mail before Christmas, but don’t forget…
One Last thing…
31. One of the most responsive times for direct mail: and often media response-is the last week of December/first week of January. For most marketers, it’s the best time of the entire year.
Let me help you get ready for the Holidays! Call me at 310-212-5727 or email me at [email protected].