The holiday season is a pivotal time for businesses, as it presents a unique opportunity to drive sales and connect with customers through strategic marketing efforts. With the rise of online shopping and digital advertising, it can be challenging for local businesses to stand out among the competition.
However, by utilizing the power of local business content, you can elevate your holiday marketing strategy and make a lasting impression on your target audience.
In this article, we will explore five types of local business content that can help you effectively promote your products and services during the holiday season.
From social media posts to blog articles, we will discuss how each type of content can be optimized to attract and engage local customers. By incorporating these strategies into your holiday marketing plan, you can set yourself apart from the rest and drive success for your business during the most wonderful time of the year.
So, let’s dive in and discover how you can elevate your holiday marketing ideas with the power of local business content.
Discover the Top 5 Regional Benefits to Highlight During the Festive Shopping period
Direct your attention towards the advantages at hand:
1. No shipping fees
The escalating costs of shipping have emerged as a significant deterrent for consumers, leading to a notable surge in online shopping cart abandonment. It is crucial to highlight to customers that opting for local purchases not only exempts them from additional charges associated with perfect gift-giving or preparing a delightful meal, but also offers them an array of other compelling advantages.
2. Instant access
In today’s fast-paced world, consumers are constantly seeking convenience and efficiency in their shopping experiences. While 1-day shipping offers swift delivery, there is an even quicker way to obtain desired items – immediate purchasing.
Given the current sluggishness in the target market or job market, some individuals may find themselves hesitant about their income stability, leading them to delay their holiday shopping until the eleventh hour. To avoid any potential disappointment of remote purchases not arriving on time, it is advisable to emphasize the advantages of supporting local businesses, as this guarantees instant gratification for customers.
3. Less risky delivery
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is facing numerous challenges, and package theft has emerged as a significant issue across many neighborhoods. Moreover, certain individuals within your community may need to steer clear of holiday crowds to minimize the risk of contagion.
However, by providing local same-day delivery services, you can ensure direct communication between your drivers and customers during the delivery process, effectively preventing any instances of theft. Additionally, customers who are concerned about their health will often be willing to pay a reasonable delivery fee in order to enjoy the convenience of shopping from the comfort of their own homes.
4. Local insight
Operating a local business provides firsthand insight into the state of your community throughout the year. This valuable understanding empowers you to customize your products and services to align with the specific needs and preferences of your customers, a level of personalization that remote brands often struggle to achieve.
While the current circumstances may not foster a widespread demand for extravagant purchases, such as the latest $1,200 phone, it is likely that your neighbors are seeking more special offers that convey thoughtfulness and care.
5. Shared local benefits
Shopping locally has a far-reaching impact on the community by boosting the local economy and preventing resources from flowing out into distant hands.
When you realize that your fellow town or city residents are equally concerned about crucial issues such as improved employment with better wages, support for local emergency services and climate change resilience, increased donations to food banks and shelters, and the allocation of funds for outdoor recreational spaces like parks and trails, the significance of the buy local movement becomes evident.
Ideally, your business and the community it serves can reap numerous benefits from shopping locally, and you may discover even more appealing aspects to it. However, effectively spreading this message to holiday shoppers requires effective communication strategies.
Let’s explore some excellent options for accomplishing just that.
The 5 Key Types of Holiday Shopping Season Content
Spread the word about this valuable piece of information:
1. Absolutely correct contact information
Ensuring accurate and up-to-date business information is crucial to prevent potential losses when customers miss out on shopping with you due to encountering incorrect details. Take proactive measures to maintain the accuracy of your business name, addresses (single or multiple), phone number, and holiday hours:
- Local Business Listings: Update your business information across the local search ecosystem to avoid any discrepancies.
- Website Optimization: Review all pages of your local business website, including title tags, meta descriptions, footers, contact pages, location landing pages, thank you pages, shopping cart pages, and key content assets. Make certain that basic business details are prominently displayed and updated.
- Social Media Profiles: Regularly check and update your most popular social profiles. It’s easy to overlook changes in business hours on platforms like Instagram or Nextdoor. Ensure that your messaging is accurate and post holiday hours whenever possible.
- Storefront and In-store: Keep your signage updated to reflect holiday hours, website addresses, and other essential information. This will ensure that passers-by and visitors are well-informed about your business.
- Training Materials: Don’t forget to educate your staff, especially temporary or seasonal employees, about your holiday hours. Dedicate a few minutes to train them so they can confidently answer customer inquiries.
By following these informative guidelines, you can minimize any preventable losses caused by customers missing out on shopping with you due to encountering incorrect business details.
2. Your complete fulfillment menu
Ensure comprehensive communication of the myriad customer benefits you provide across various platforms such as listings, websites, social profiles, store signage, and training materials. Eagerly highlight the array of exceptional services available to your valued clientele, including:
- Enjoy the convenience of shopping in-store, immersing yourself in the tactile experience of your desired products.
- Seamlessly explore a diverse range of offerings through our user-friendly online shopping platform, accessible from the comfort of your own home.
- Opt for the ultimate convenience with our “Buy online, pick up in-store” service, allowing you to swiftly collect your purchases at your preferred location.
- Embrace the ease of “Buy online, pick up curbside,” enabling you to swiftly retrieve your orders without leaving the comfort of your vehicle.
- Experience unparalleled efficiency with our “Buy online, pick up at a fulfillment center” option, ensuring prompt collection of your items from a designated hub.
- Avail yourself of our exceptional local delivery service, bringing your coveted products directly to your doorstep without delay.
- Delight in the convenience of our reliable shipping service, securely transporting your purchases to any desired location.
Rest assured, our commitment to providing an informative and enriching customer experience remains steadfast across all platforms.
To enhance the probability of timely holiday delivery, it is advisable to provide clear instructions to customers regarding the optimal timing of their purchase when availing remote shipping services.
3. Deals
According to a recent survey, a significant majority of retailers, around 71%, have expressed concerns about the potential impact of inflation on customers’ holiday spending habits. Additionally, an equally notable 67% of retailers anticipate that shoppers will actively seek out discounts during this festive season.
These figures highlight the magnitude of the issue at hand. Furthermore, industry experts have observed a noteworthy shift in consumer behavior, specifically the trend of individuals starting their holiday shopping well in advance.
Surveys have revealed that an impressive 44% of people now initiate their shopping endeavors even before Halloween.
Ensure that you effectively promote any enticing offers for customers within your community throughout this quarter. Take advantage of various platforms such as your listings, website, social media profiles, as well as offline channels to synchronize your outreach efforts with the following events:
- Black Friday
- Small Business Saturday
- Cyber Monday, or alternatively, consider participating in Cider Monday if it aligns better with your business model.
4. Experiences as well as things
Thomas Gilovich, a renowned researcher at Cornell University, conducted pioneering investigations to determine whether possessions or experiences contribute more significantly to long-term human happiness. His ground-breaking findings revealed that shared experiences have the remarkable ability to foster strong connections among individuals.
Consequently, Gilovich concluded that while material possessions may be cherished and considered integral to one’s identity, they ultimately remain distinct from the individual. In stark contrast, our experiences play an intrinsic role in shaping who we are as human beings, effectively defining our very essence.
In essence, we are the culmination of our diverse and collective experiences.
During this holiday shopping season, while it is expected that most local businesses will focus on selling goods, there is a unique opportunity to go beyond that and create a memorable experience for your customers. By doing so, you can establish strong relationships within your community, making your business an integral part of local life.
Moreover, this approach aligns with the growing demand for sustainable holiday gift-giving options.
Consider hosting various events or activities at your shop, such as caroling programs, tree lighting ceremonies, community strolls to admire decorated homes, or organizing toy and food drives. You could also embrace inclusivity by organizing events that celebrate the holidays of multiple cultures and faiths.
Can Also Contribute
Raffles, fundraisers, Santa Claus booths, and Salvation Army bell ringers can also contribute to fostering a sense of community. Additionally, organizing outdoor holiday movie nights, walks for a cause, or community clean-ups of natural features are other creative and memorable options to consider.
When it comes to selling goods, think about how you can create a visually inspiring window display that embodies the spirit of hope and inspiration during the season. Alternatively, you could showcase how your business is committed to sustainability by offering gifts with minimal packaging, locally-produced items, or products that include a 10% donation to a local charity, such as a shelter for homeless neighbors.
If your inventory solely consists of physical goods, explore partnerships with fellow business owners who provide experience-based services, such as gifting a meal, a health and beauty appointment, or an annual pass to state parks.
Make sure to promote all these events and offers on your website, listings, and social media profiles. If your idea is significant enough, reach out to your local newspaper and bloggers to generate additional publicity.
This comprehensive approach will help spread the word and ensure that your efforts to create a memorable experience and contribute to your community are widely recognized.
5. E-E-A-T for the holidays
If you feel like the fourth quarter has crept up on you and you haven’t had the opportunity to establish an online presence that embodies Google’s principles of experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), then I encourage you to read the Google E-E-A-T guide available in the Moz Learning Center. This resource will assist you in creating something remarkable throughout the year 2024. In the meantime, I’d like to provide you with four quick suggestions for content that you can immediately promote to enhance your local E-E-A-T during the holiday season.
- Experience: Highlight the top five positive reviews from satisfied customers on your website homepage, Google Updates (previously known as Google posts), and social media profiles. By showcasing genuine customer experiences, you will establish trust and credibility with potential clients.
- Expertise: Create a short video featuring your most knowledgeable staff member explaining their role and why the local community trusts your brand during the holiday campaigns. Emphasize your brand’s history of serving the community and the expertise of your employees. Share this video on your social media platforms, website, and the Google Business Profile image/video section.
Relevant to Your Business
- Authoritativeness: Write a blog post about community holiday events or deals that are relevant to your business. Reach out to other local business owners and ask them to share the link to your blog post. For instance, if you own a local restaurant, you could write about the best places in town to find delicious holiday treats. A yoga teacher might consider writing about a wellness-focused community walk. By providing valuable information and collaborating with fellow business owners, you will enhance your authority within the community.
- Trustworthiness: Ensure that the shipping, refunds, and returns policy on your website is accurate and easily accessible. Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines instruct evaluators to look for indicators that a business can be trusted to treat potential customers fairly. When the holiday season arrives, it is advisable to emphasize the presence of your policy link on the homepage of your website.. This small detail can greatly influence customers’ perception of your trustworthiness and reliability.
By implementing these strategies, you can enhance your online presence and establish a strong foundation of experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. These elements are crucial for building lasting relationships with loyal customers, particularly during the holiday season when trust and reliability are paramount.
Your Business Holds Significance Throughout The Entire Year, Making A Lasting Impact
In an ideal scenario, local business owners would have ample perfect time throughout the year to adequately prepare for the holiday shopping season, recognizing its significant impact on the financial success of small businesses.
However, considering the unprecedented circumstances under which companies like yours are currently operating, it is important to give yourself credit for all that you have accomplished in serving your community with grace and goodwill throughout 2023. Your local business plays a vital role!
Furthermore, if I may suggest a New Year’s resolution for the upcoming year, I encourage you to take advantage of available free educational resources to enhance the success and value of your business within your community. To support this objective, I recommend dedicating some time in early 2024 to studying The Local Business Content Marketing Guide.
This exclusive guide, tailored specifically for local businesses, will equip you with the knowledge and strategies needed to develop and promote high-quality local business content. It is a unique resource that cannot be found anywhere else on the web, and the best part is that it is completely free.
In the meantime, please allow me to join you in celebrating all your achievements as we conclude 2023. I extend my sincerest wishes for the good health, peace, and shared prosperity of your business and community!
In Conclusion
By incorporating these five types of local business content into your holiday marketing strategy, you can effectively reach and engage with your target audience. From showcasing your products or services in action to sharing customer testimonials and creating holiday-themed promotions, these tactics can help elevate your brand and drive sales during the busy holiday season.
Remember to tailor your content to your specific local community, and utilize social media and other online platforms to amplify your message. With a well-rounded and targeted approach, your local business can stand out and thrive during the holidays.
If you want to stay updated with a wide range of Local SEO trends, actionable insights, and innovative solutions, please subscribe to our blog.
Moreover, if you looking for a Local SEO and Marketing Company to help you rank locally, we at Brian Zenarosa Digital can help you out. Book a discovery call today.
Recent Comments