It’s that time of year again – The holiday season! But, at the same time, it’s also the busiest time of year for local businesses. With customers out searching for the perfect gifts and holiday cheer, it’s important to have a solid content marketing strategy to attract them to your business. By creating and sharing relevant, engaging holiday content, you can increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website and store, and give your holiday sales a big boost.
In this post, we’ll look at 5 types of holiday local business content you should be promoting to connect with customers and stand out from the competition. From gift guides to behind-the-scenes looks at your business, crafting the right content can help you capture the holiday spirit, draw in customers, and make the most of this crucial sales season. Let’s dive in to the holiday content ideas that you need to have on your radar!
Gift Guides
Gift guides can be an invaluable resources that simplify the often daunting task of gift selection by providing carefully curated collections of gift ideas tailored to various criteria. These criteria typically revolve around specific occasions, the recipient’s interests, or budget constraints. These guides can take on a multitude of forms, adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of digital and traditional marketing platforms.
1. Curated Selections
At their core, gift guides serve as meticulously chosen assortments of present suggestions. These selections are crafted with precision to cater to a particular purpose. They act as trusted recommendations to assist individuals in finding the perfect gift, sparing them from the overwhelming process of sifting through countless options.
2. Versatile Formats
Gift guides manifest in an array of formats, each suited to different channels of distribution and audience preferences:
- Blog Posts: A detailed and informative format that allows for in-depth descriptions and accompanying images. Blog posts are ideal for conveying the story and sentiment behind each gift.
- Social Media Posts: Visual and succinct, social media gift guides leverage eye-catching images, concise captions, and hashtags to capture immediate attention and engagement.
- Email Newsletters: Delivered directly to subscribers’ inboxes, email gift guides offer a personalized touch, with tailored recommendations based on past interactions or preferences.
- Print Brochures: The tangible quality of print brochures can provide a tactile experience for customers visiting physical stores or events. They offer a more enduring presence, often kept as references for future gifting needs.
3. Occasion-Focused Gift Guides
These guides cater to specific events, such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, holidays, or even more niche occasions like housewarmings or retirements. By organizing gifts around particular milestones, gift guides ensure that the selections align with the spirit and purpose of the celebration.
4. Interest-Based Gift Guides
Interest-driven gift guides are designed for individuals with particular passions or hobbies. Whether it’s art, sports, cooking, or tech, these guides offer a treasure trove of gift ideas that resonate with the recipient’s personal interests and passions.
5. Budget-Centric Gift Guides
Budget-oriented gift guides acknowledge the financial constraints that shoppers may face. These guides present a spectrum of gift options, from affordable choices to more lavish selections, ensuring that there’s something for everyone, regardless of their budget.
6. The Role of Gift Guides
Gift guides play a multifaceted role in the modern consumer landscape:
- Simplifying Decision-Making: They streamline the decision-making process for gift shoppers, offering a well-curated selection that saves time and mental energy.
- Inspiring Creativity: Gift guides spark creativity by introducing shoppers to unique and thoughtful gift ideas they may not have considered otherwise.
- Building Trust: They establish trust in the recommendations provided by businesses or influencers, enhancing the perceived value of the products or services.
- Driving Sales: Gift guides can be instrumental in boosting sales, as they guide potential customers toward making informed purchase decisions.
Why are gift guides important for local businesses?
Gift guides are a great way for local businesses to showcase their products or services to potential customers. They can also help to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website or store, and boost sales.
Gift guides provide local businesses with a platform to showcase their products or services in a unique and purposeful context. By featuring their offerings in these guides, businesses can draw attention to their key products or services, emphasizing their relevance as ideal gift choices. This focused presentation increases the visibility of their offerings and helps potential customers discover items they might not have otherwise considered.
Participation in gift guides contributes to the expansion of a local business’s brand awareness. When their products or services are featured in well-curated guides, they gain exposure to a wider audience. This exposure is not limited to their existing customer base but extends to those actively seeking gift ideas, including potential new customers who might not have previously been aware of the business.
Gift guides play a crucial role in driving traffic to a local business’s website or physical store. In the digital realm, being featured in online gift guides can attract visitors to a business’s website, where they can explore the showcased products in more detail and make purchases. In the physical world, printed gift guides or brochures distributed in-store or at events can lead customers to the brick-and-mortar location. This increase in foot traffic provides opportunities for engagement and conversions.
The primary objective of participating in gift guides is to enhance sales. Gift shoppers, often faced with the daunting task of selecting the perfect present, turn to these curated lists for guidance. When local businesses’ products or services are presented in a way that resonates with this gift-seeking audience, it increases the likelihood of purchases. The persuasive context of a gift guide can make the difference in a customer’s buying decision.
Gift guides can align with seasonal trends, holidays, or special events, capitalizing on the heightened interest during these periods. For local businesses, this presents a valuable opportunity to tailor their offerings to the season or event, optimizing their chances of increased sales.
Being included in reputable gift guides also contributes to a business’s credibility and trustworthiness. The act of recommendation, especially from a trusted source or influencer, can instill confidence in potential customers, encouraging them to choose the featured products or services.
Gift guides are not limited to attracting new customers. They can also serve as a way to re-engage existing customers. By showcasing new or unique offerings, local businesses can maintain the interest and loyalty of their current customer base, encouraging repeat purchases.
How to create effective gift guides
When creating gift guides, it’s important to keep your target audience in mind. What are their interests? What are they looking for in a gift? Once you understand your audience, you can start to curate a list of gift ideas that they’re sure to love.
Here are some tips for creating effective gift guides:
- Choose a specific niche or topic for your gift guide. This will help you to attract a targeted audience and make it easier to curate a list of relevant gift ideas.
- Include a variety of gift ideas at different price points. This will make your gift guide more appealing to a wider audience.
- Write clear and concise descriptions of each gift idea. Be sure to highlight the unique features and benefits of each product or service.
- Use high-quality images to showcase the gift ideas.
- Promote your gift guide on your website, social media channels, and email newsletter.
Examples of gift guides that local businesses can create
Here are some examples of gift guides that local businesses can create:
- Gift guide for foodies
- Gift guide for techies
- Gift guide for kids
- Gift guide for under $25 gifts
- Gift guide for people who have everything
- Gift guide for last-minute shoppers
- Gift guide for holiday party hosts
- Gift guide for teachers
- Gift guide for gift givers on a budget
- Gift guide for the person who has everything
- Gift guide for the person who is hard to shop for
- Gift guide for the person who loves unique gifts
- Gift guide for the person who loves to experience new things
By creating and promoting informative and engaging gift guides, local businesses can position themselves as the go-to place for holiday shopping.
Holiday Shopping Tips
Holiday shopping tips serve as practical guidelines and insights to assist consumers in navigating the complex and often overwhelming landscape of holiday shopping. During the festive season, when shopping lists grow long and budgets can be stretched, these tips provide valuable strategies for making the most of the shopping experience.
Why are holiday shopping tips important for local businesses?
Holiday shopping tips are not only beneficial for consumers but also offer local businesses a unique opportunity to establish a stronger connection with their target audience and reap various advantages. Here’s why holiday shopping tips are important for local businesses:
Local businesses that provide holiday shopping tips demonstrate their industry expertise and commitment to customer well-being. By offering advice on gift choices, budget management, and smart shopping strategies, these businesses position themselves as trusted sources of guidance. This expertise fosters trust and loyalty among potential customers, who are more likely to turn to businesses they perceive as reliable and knowledgeable.
Participation in holiday shopping tips and guides contributes to heightened brand awareness. When local businesses are featured in well-curated holiday shopping tips, they gain exposure to a broader audience. This exposure is not limited to their existing customer base but extends to individuals actively seeking advice and recommendations. Consequently, businesses increase their visibility and reach, creating a positive impression in the minds of potential customers.
Holiday shopping tips are a powerful marketing tool for local businesses. They allow businesses to showcase their expertise, increase brand awareness, drive traffic to their online and physical stores, and ultimately boost sales. By providing valuable advice and recommendations during the holiday season, local businesses can strengthen their customer relationships and enjoy increased visibility and revenue.
How to create effective holiday shopping tips
When creating holiday shopping tips, it’s important to keep your target audience in mind. What are their concerns? What do they need to know to make informed shopping decisions? Once you understand your audience, you can start to develop tips that are relevant and helpful to them.
Here are some tips for creating effective holiday shopping tips:
- Be specific and actionable. Your tips should be clear, concise, and easy to implement.
- Be informative and helpful. Your tips should provide value to your readers.
- Be authentic and credible. Your tips should be based on your own expertise and experience.
- Be engaging and interesting. Your tips should be written in a way that is easy to read and understand.
- Be timely. Your tips should be published during the holiday shopping season, when consumers are most likely to be looking for them.
Examples of holiday shopping tips that local businesses can share
Here are some examples of holiday shopping tips that local businesses can share:
- Start shopping early to avoid the last-minute rush and get the best deals.
- Make a budget and stick to it.
- Compare prices before you buy.
- Shop around for the best deals.
- Don’t be afraid to negotiate.
- Be wary of holiday shopping scams.
- Buy for quality, not just price.
- Consider giving the gift of an experience instead of a material item.
- Gift wrap your gifts with care.
- Personalize your gifts with a handwritten note.
- Ship your gifts early to ensure that they arrive on time.
By creating and promoting informative and engaging holiday shopping tips, local businesses can help their customers have a happy and stress-free holiday shopping season.
Holiday Events and Promotions
Holiday events and promotions are integral components of a business’s seasonal marketing strategy, designed to capitalize on the festive spirit of the holiday season and enhance customer engagement and sales. These initiatives encompass a wide range of activities, both within and outside of a business’s physical or online storefront.
Why are holiday events and promotions important for local businesses?
Holiday events and promotions are integral components of a business’s seasonal marketing strategy, designed to capitalize on the festive spirit of the holiday season and enhance customer engagement and sales. These initiatives encompass a wide range of activities, both within and outside of a business’s physical or online storefront.
As an example, these events can include both in-store and online promotions:
In-Store Promotions
Businesses often roll out special discounts, offers, and deals exclusively within their physical stores. These promotions can include buy-one-get-one-free deals, bundle offers, discounts on specific products, or loyalty rewards for repeat customers. In-store promotions create a sense of excitement and urgency, enticing shoppers to visit and make purchases.
Online Promotions
The digital realm is a significant platform for holiday promotions. Online promotions may involve discounts, coupon codes, free shipping, or limited-time sales on e-commerce websites. They are aimed at attracting online shoppers and encouraging them to make holiday purchases.
Of course, you have a number of other events that you can do to promote your local business during the holidays, such as seasonal offerings, gift wrapping services, festive decor and displays, and more.
How to promote your holiday events and promotions
Once you have planned your holiday events and promotions, it’s important to promote them effectively. Here are some tips:
- Create a dedicated landing page on your website for your holiday events and promotions. This will give your customers a central place to learn about all of your offerings.
- Promote your events and promotions on social media. Be sure to use relevant hashtags and target your ads to your target audience.
- Send out email newsletters to your subscribers about your holiday events and promotions.
- Place ads in local newspapers and magazines.
- Partner with other local businesses to cross-promote your events and promotions.
Examples of holiday events and promotions that local businesses can host
Here are some examples of holiday events and promotions that local businesses can host:
Events:
- Holiday tree lighting ceremony
- Holiday parade
- Santa meet-and-greet
- Holiday concert
- Holiday craft fair
- Holiday shopping party
- Holiday wine tasting
- Holiday cookie decorating class
- Holiday wreath-making class
- Holiday gift wrapping workshop
Promotions:
- Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales
- Holiday gift guide discounts
- Free shipping offers
- Buy one, get one free deals
- Gift with purchase promotions
- Loyalty program rewards
- Holiday gift certificates
Local Business Stories
Local business stories are narratives that shed light on the businesses and individuals that form the fabric of a community. These stories can take various forms, such as articles, blog posts, social media updates, or videos. They serve as a platform for showcasing the unique aspects of local businesses, from new startups to long-established enterprises celebrating milestones.
Why Local Business Stories Matter for Local Businesses
Promoting Local Businesses: Local business stories are an effective means of promoting and highlighting local businesses. By sharing the stories of these businesses, communities and potential customers become more aware of their presence and offerings.
Building Customer Relationships: These stories help local businesses forge connections with their customer base. When people learn about the faces and stories behind the businesses, they are more likely to feel a personal connection and loyalty to those businesses.
Increasing Brand Awareness: Local business stories contribute to brand awareness within the community. As local residents read and engage with these stories, they become more familiar with the brands, which can lead to increased recognition and trust.
Driving Website and Store Traffic: Sharing local business stories can attract traffic to a business’s website or physical store. As people read and engage with these stories, their interest in the business can translate into visits and purchases.
Boosting Sales: The personal touch of local business stories can make a significant impact on sales. When potential customers are emotionally connected to a business, they are more likely to choose it over competitors.
How to Create Effective Local Business Stories
When crafting local business stories, it’s crucial to focus on the human element and the unique aspects of the businesses. Here are some tips for creating effective local business stories:
- Compelling Stories: Choose businesses with compelling stories to tell. This could be a unique origin, a remarkable journey, a significant milestone, or a compelling mission.
- Interview Business Owners: Interview the business owner or other key employees to capture their perspective, experiences, and aspirations. These interviews provide valuable insights for the story.
- In-Depth Research: Conduct thorough research to gain a comprehensive understanding of the business, its history, its industry, and its competitive landscape.
- Clear and Concise Writing: Write the story in a clear and concise style, ensuring that it is easy to read and engaging for your audience.
- Visual Content: Incorporate high-quality photos and videos to illustrate the story. Visual content adds depth and authenticity to the narrative.
- Multichannel Promotion: Promote the local business story on various platforms, including your website, social media channels, and email newsletters, to reach a wider audience.
Examples of local business stories that local businesses can share
Here are some examples of local business stories that local businesses can share:
- A story about a new business owner who is overcoming challenges to achieve their dream.
- A story about a long-time business owner who is reflecting on their success and giving back to the community.
- A story about a business that is using innovative methods to solve problems or meet the needs of its customers.
- A story about a business that is committed to sustainability and social responsibility.
- A story about a business that is supporting other local businesses through collaboration and partnerships.
Behind-the-Scenes Content
Behind-the-scenes content offers a unique peek into the inner workings of a business, providing audiences with an authentic and unfiltered view of what goes on behind the curtain. It encompasses various forms of media, such as photos and videos, and typically showcases employees at work, the production process of products or services, or the preparations for special events. It’s an intimate and genuine portrayal of the daily life of a business.
Why Behind-the-Scenes Content Matters for Local Businesses
Building Personal Connections: Behind-the-scenes content is a powerful tool for forging personal connections with the audience. By revealing the faces and personalities behind the business, local enterprises humanize their brand, making it relatable and approachable.
Fostering Trust: Authenticity is a cornerstone of behind-the-scenes content. When customers witness the dedication, effort, and passion that go into a business’s daily operations, they develop trust in the brand. They understand that the business isn’t just about products or services but also about the people who are committed to delivering quality.
Strengthening Loyalty: As customers connect on a personal level with the business and its team, they are more likely to become loyal patrons. This loyalty is not solely driven by the products or services but also by the emotional connection they share with the brand.
Transparency: Behind-the-scenes content is a form of transparency that can set a business apart in an age when consumers demand authenticity. When businesses are open about their operations, it can help instill confidence and attract customers who value transparency.
Educational Value: This type of content often educates customers about the intricacies of a business, how products are made, or the skills and expertise involved in delivering services. This can foster a deeper appreciation for what the business offers.
Creating Effective Behind-the-Scenes Content
To create compelling behind-the-scenes content, it’s essential to be authentic, spontaneous, and creative. Here are some tips for producing content that resonates with your audience:
- Spontaneity: Don’t wait for perfect, staged moments to share. Capture authentic moments as they happen, whether it’s your team at work, a product being crafted, or the excitement of getting ready for special events. Spontaneity conveys the genuine nature of your business.
- Authenticity: Be yourself and be true to your brand’s personality. Audiences can spot inauthenticity from a mile away, so stay genuine and true to your values.
- Creativity: Behind-the-scenes content doesn’t need to adhere to a strict formula. Experiment with various forms of content, including photos, videos, live streams, and Q&A sessions. Creativity keeps your content fresh and engaging.
- Storytelling: Use storytelling techniques to give your content a narrative structure. Narratives captivate audiences, making the content more memorable and relatable.
- Engagement: Encourage interaction and engagement from your audience. Ask for their thoughts, feedback, or questions related to your behind-the-scenes content. This interaction strengthens the bond between your business and its customers.
Examples of behind-the-scenes content that local businesses can share
- A photo of your team brainstorming new product ideas
- A video of your chef preparing a popular dish
- A live stream of your team setting up for a special event
- A Q&A session with your business owner
- A behind-the-scenes look at your manufacturing process
- A video of your team volunteering in the community
- A photo of your team celebrating a success
- A video of your team having fun at work
Conclusion
The holiday season provides a prime opportunity for local businesses to connect with customers and drive sales through strategic content marketing. By crafting and sharing relevant holiday content, you can increase awareness of your business, products, and services, while also building meaningful relationships with your audience.
The five types of holiday content discussed in this post – gift guides, shopping tips, events and promotions, local business stories, and behind-the-scenes looks – each serve a unique purpose in your marketing strategy. Gift guides act as trusted resources for gift selection while shopping tips provide actionable guidance. Promotions create urgency and engagement, while compelling stories humanize your business and behind-the-scenes content offers authenticity.
As you develop your holiday content calendar, aim to incorporate a diverse blend of these types of content. Tailor the content to resonate with your target audience and promote it across your digital platforms and in-store. With a thoughtful content marketing strategy, you can expand your reach, boost engagement and position your local business for success this holiday season.
The holidays are a special time, filled with celebrations, traditions and cheer. By sharing meaningful seasonal content, you can be a part of your community’s holiday experience. We wish you great success as you promote your local business this holiday season!