how to market your business ahead of christmas

So you want to push sales at Christmas time. That’s great! Unfortunately, so does everyone else. Christmas is the busiest time of the year, but that also makes it the most competitive season (you can only fit so much stuff in a stocking).

To get some tips, we sat down with the lovely Esther Sandler from Togetherness and Natalia Pye from Wolf & Mishka. These guys have been running the PALS Christmas pop-up shop for years now, and they’ve learnt a thing or two about seasonal marketing.FIND YOUR PRICE POINT First tip: pricing. Esther and Natalia both agree that a broad range of price points is absolutely key. “My prices range from $7 for a greeting card up to $300 for a garment,” Esther says. “And you need to be hitting all the prices in between.” Nat agrees. “Socks are a great one,” she says. “Especially for fashion brands, which can sometimes struggle with those entry-level products. They just tick away all year.” For Esther and Nat, $20 to $45 seems to be the Christmas pricing sweet spot.

NEWSLETTERS RULE! Esther and Nat say that Instagram is still king when it comes to Christmas marketing, but don’t neglect the humble newsletter either. “To be honest, my newsletter has almost overtaken Instagram as a marketing tool,” Esther admits. “I have 20-times more followers on Insta, but the impact of newsletter marketing is way more powerful.” It’s the old ‘captured audience’ trick. Newsletter subscribers already love your brand – that’s why they’re subbed! Warm leads beat cold ones every time.

DON’T LEAVE IT TOO LATE Christmas marketing often comes down to timing. And this has become tricky in recent years, now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales seem to last for most of November/early December. “I think mid-November is still the best time to start your Christmas push,” Esther says. “If you go too early, people just aren’t ready.” Nat says you should aim to hit people right before the sales. “Otherwise, customers kind of exhaust their Christmas finances, and there’s not much left in December. Definitely don’t leave it too late.”

SAME SAME, BUT DIFFERENT Point of difference is important for any product-based brand, but doubly so at Christmas time. “If you want to make candles, that’s great,” Esther says, “but you need to figure out a way to stand out from the crowd. When we’re picking artists for PALS, for example, we don’t want 20 different candle makers.” Once you have your point of difference (POD, for short) don’t forget to market it! Shout from the rooftops about why your thing isn’t like everyone else’s thing. It’s good business all ‘round.   

TO MARKET, TO MARKET! Both Esther and Nat have had success with Christmas markets over the years, but if this is your first time, the advice seems to be: start small. “Think of markets as stepping stones,” Nat says. “Start with the smaller, community markets. Look for free opportunities. Then, when you’re ready, you can graduate to the big ones, where it’s like $2000 for a stall.” Esther says the other trick is to research previous stallholders, to see if that particular market is a good brand fit. “It can be a real blow to your confidence when no-one resonates with your product,” she says. “So make sure they’re right for you.”

SALE OR NO SALE? This is the big question at Christmas time: do you discount? And if so, how much? Esther and Nat agree that new product releases should never really be on sale. Save discounts for when you need to shift old stock, or to reward loyal subscribers. “What I like to do is give my subscribers a small exclusive sale, to make them feel special,” Nat says. “Communication is also important. If you’ve got a big, big sale coming up – like 50 per cent or 60 per cent off – maybe give your subscribers a week’s notice, so they don’t pay full price then feel disappointed.”

PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY MATTERS Small businesses often have trouble choosing where to invest their money. But Esther and Nat both agree that, for makers and creators, good product photography is some of the best cash you can spend. “With most of the big markets, they’ll ask for six-to-eight really good photos in advance,” Nat says. “Otherwise you won’t even be considered for a stall.” Your shots should also reflect the values or feel of the brand: whimsical, crafty, edgy, modern, sustainable, etc. So take some time to style your shoot – don’t just settle for sterile, generic renders.

BE AUTHENTIC Last tip: just be yourself. Esther and Nat agree this is the Golden Rule that should inform all your brand decisions – and not just at Christmas time. “Our businesses are quite small and personal. They’re an extension of ourselves,” Esther says. “So at the end of the day, whatever you do, it has to sit right with you. Be authentic. That’s what’s going to keep people sticking around.”

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