2016-11-18

The holidays can be a hectic time of year. When work and personal deadlines are looming, you might be tempted to slap a few snowflakes on your website, send a box of chocolates to your clients, and call it a marketing campaign.

But a good marketing message shouldn’t be one of the things you push aside during the holidays. Your clients are just as busy as you are, and that actually means you have a great opportunity. They are looking for someone who can save them time and make them look great in the process. You want to show them that you’re just the one to do it!

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Follow these tips to create a marketing message that takes advantage of seasonal pain points and expectations.

Market how you will save your clients time.

Lack of time is probably the biggest worry for your clients this time of year, so you need to be loud and clear about how you can solve their problem. Focus your marketing on different ways you can save time for your clients.

Emphasize your quick ordering process. If you take online orders, make sure they know how easy it is to place an order. Make sure your website and phone number are everywhere so they never have to hunt for your contact information.

Make sure your clients know that you are available and responsive and that you want to hear their needs. Being active on social media is a great way to make yourself more “present” for your clients.

Offer a guaranteed turnaround time. You can create a sense of security by guaranteeing delivery of items before the holidays or delivery of product presentations within 24 hours of the request.

Give clients solutions before they ask. Send an email with your most popular items from holiday events you’ve done before, and explain why they were successful. People trust what has already been proven to work for others, and it saves them time searching for ideas.

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Market your brand with personal touches.

Saving your clients time isn’t the only thing you should market during the holiday season. It’s also the time of year when people expect personal touches, and this is an opportunity to add a face and personality to your brand. Look for ways to share your sentiments and values, and you will create a positive image in the minds of your clients and prospects long after the holidays are gone.

Share a personal holiday message. Whether you use an email, an entry on your website’s news page, or handwritten notes, the important thing is to thank your clients for their business, feedback, and support during the year. Let them know how you plan to give them even more value next year. You might even include some photos of you or your staff. The goal is to make your clients see and remember your company as people instead of just a logo.

You can also hold social events such as a cocktail hour, appreciation breakfast, or holiday party. The holidays are about bringing people together, and when you draw your clients into the social aspect of the season, you have the chance make your brand more personal.

A very seasonally-appropriate way to add depth to your brand is to support a personal cause through donations, coordinating a donation drive, volunteering service, or just spreading awareness of charitable opportunities. Keep it genuine by choosing causes that you or your staff personally care about and that you (hopefully) support year-round, and invite your clients to get involved.

Thank you to every one of our clients who supported us the past year! We're proud to be your partner!
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You have time for marketing with SAGE.

If you are a SAGE subscriber, you have a wealth of time-saving features at your fingertips, so you don’t have to worry about finding time for marketing, even during the holidays. Here are just a few of the ways you can save time for your clients and yourself by using SAGE.

Send a predesigned SAGE Email Campaign with just a few clicks. We create free, themed emails stocked with products for you every month – and we have brand new designs for the holidays! All you have to do is pick who you want it to go to. Click here to watch an email campaign tutorial.

SAGE Online, SAGE Web, and SAGE Mobile offer quick product research. Choose from over 65 precise search options, save your preferred suppliers to always show first, and drag and drop products to save for later, plus click the help button in SAGE Online to use our live research assistance for hard-to-find items!

Search for fast delivery from suppliers. If your client needs quick turnaround, you can specify a rush production time when you search for products. You can also filter your product searches by zip code for quicker shipping or join SAGE discussion groups to find recommendations for fast suppliers.

Speed up communication in the SAGE Presentation Publisher. Just send your client the web link to your presentation and have real-time conversations. Clients can add a comment below each item and you can reply immediately.

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Make it your goal this holiday season to help your clients find more time and to connect with them personally. It’s not only smart marketing – it’s the best gift you can give them this year!

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