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JacobBergeron
11-07-2011, 04:48 PM
Hey Everyone,

Its that time of year again, the holidays! I am trying to gather a consensus of what small businesses generally do to celebrate the holidays from a marketing standpoint. What type of simple gifts are most common? and how fancy does the average small business get when it comes to these types of things? I am working on crafting my holiday season proposals for existing clients as well as preparing marketing material to attract new clients for the new year. I felt like the forum would be a good place to gather information as many industries and types of business owners are represented here within our community. I am looking for specifics as well as general comments and feelings regarding customer/client relations and the holiday season. I look forward to hearing from you.

ps.It sure has been a strange season so far for us up in New England. Significant snowfall around Halloween and all this week highs will be in the sixties. Crazy stuff, but as they say in Maine, if you don't like the weather wait a minute because it is sure to change. :)

greenoak
11-07-2011, 06:48 PM
WE JUST FINISHED OURR BIG CHRISTMAS EVENT.we gave away a little present, a !$ ornament to the first 300 who came...
we sent out email to 3000 customers...we composed and mailed out 3500 postcards, we did 100$$ of radio...100$ of facebook ads and about 3 or 400$ of ads in local papers..the best ads were probably free..several posts to our facebook.over 1900 fans now.....its an annual event and a 20% off sale.... we were thrilled and had about 750 actual sales....and about 1200 people thru...we heard that lots didnt stop because of no parking....it was up over 15% over last year.... and the best one ever...its about the 12th yr for this event...pictures on my facebook...it was a 4 day event..a repeating event....the first years w erent this good of course.... IT HAS GOOD BUZZ AND HOPEFULLY NO DISSAPPOINTMENTS....LOTS OF NICE COMMENTS from customers ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AFTER...we are so happy as we had bought very heavily for it...and it always seems like we over do it....and with the economy we were pretty worried....

Business Attorney
11-07-2011, 07:23 PM
Ann, everything sounds great except "we heard that lots didnt stop because of no parking." Can you do anything about that next year?

greenoak
11-07-2011, 08:16 PM
good question..im putting that in my folder for next year.....WE didnt r eally expect so many and we could have but didnt have the workers park elsewhere, also could have used a back field better.... i sure hated to hear that anyone didnt stop...and i heard it about 4 times today.... from ones whe came back today.....
the nicest for the cars would be to cut down a young woods ...but i cant really talk myself into that one...

huggytree
11-09-2011, 08:26 AM
im taking my top customer out to dinner next weekend and everyone else (builders) gets a Christmas card(thats it)

i am making a small change this year and sending out Christmas cards to my homeowner customers too using my new database

i get gifts from some suppliers...a summer sausage,nuts , restaurant gift cards......one used to hand out homemade Christmas ornaments

i gave out and installed a $350 toilet to a builder one year...he still talks about it 3 years later

i like to take the top people out for an expensive dinner...sometimes with kids along too... it makes the relationship more of a relationship and less about business

JacobBergeron
11-10-2011, 10:37 AM
Ann,

Congrats on the success. Obviously not being able to fit everyone parking wise is a problem, but I would say as far as problems go it is the right one to have.

Huggytree, very interesting. I have heard Christmas cards are quite easy and popular. There is certainly nothing wrong with a nice dinner. Solid ideas. I appreciate your feedback.

greenoak
11-10-2011, 11:27 AM
jacob...whats your best s elling promo item?

KristineS
11-10-2011, 11:32 AM
We have a lot of customers who are buy ornaments that are sublimation blanks so they can create personalized ornaments. Embroidered ornaments are big this time of year too.