There is no better time than the holiday season to drive more traffic to your store. And there is no better tool to help you do so than Spring’s Holiday Resource Hub and Countdown Calendar.
Sure, you probably know the holidays are a great time to increase sales but did you know that creators are clocking in a staggering 121% more revenue this holiday season and on average make 35% more revenue during the season than the rest of the year?!?
Even if you don’t make a lot of sales in general, the lessons you’ll learn here can be applied not just to this holiday season but all year long. So are you ready to drive more traffic to make more sales? Here are 4 awesome tips on getting it done!
Tip 1: Launch New Merch
Create a holiday product collection
Take note of the Christmas delivery cutoff dates (again, that Countdown Calendar at the Holiday Resource Hub is your best friend), so no one misses out. Add new products to your collection just in time, and add “limited edition” holiday designs to entice people to buy now.
Certain products sell especially well during the holidays. Here are some of the best sellers (based on current trends and recent years):
Hoodies
Beanies and Pom-Pom Caps
Premium Tees
Mugs
Die-Cut Stickers
All-Over Print Sweatshirts
Leggings
All-Over Print Unisex Joggers
Stainless Tumblers
Tote Bags
Long Sleeve Tees
Bucket hats
Prepare your store for peak seasonal selling
We’ve got three quick ways to optimize your store for the season:
- Choose Featured Products: these will show up first, and get 20% more views on average.
- Add branding to your store, and if you already have branding, add holiday branding: stores with custom branding see 35% increase in conversion rates.
- Customize your domain: creators with custom domains can sell up to 5x more on average than those who don’t. If you want a quick tutorial on how to connect or purchase a domain, click here.
We recommend doing all of this ASAP but if you’re running behind, try to get set by November 1st. Again, check the Countdown Calendar and the Holiday Resource Hub! Yes, we will keep harping on it because they’re great tools for success.
Keep profits rolling until Christmas with digital products
Okay, we just threw a bunch of dates at you on the Countdown Calendar. One thing with a bit of flexibility is digital products. Since these don’t have to actually ship anywhere (fans download immediately), you have up until the holiday itself to sell these products. Ensure your digital products are added to your store at the start of the season, so you can start promoting right away. Go extra hard on promotions after Cyber Weekend.
Get fans excited with special promotions on holiday themed digital products. Include bonus products (e.g. a free wallpaper background) with their digital product purchase—this is a great way to boost your sales even more.
Find inspo for digital products to create for the holidays, and don’t forget, we’ve got free digital product templates you can download and customize here.
Tip 2: Promote
Once you’ve finished creating, it’s time to promote.
The power of promo codes
It’s no secret that one of the best ways to promote holiday products is with promo codes. Why?
Offering discounts with promo codes greatly increases traffic to your store, and it creates major Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO). If you don’t believe us, then take a look at these five incredible facts found in a Blippr report:
- Online shoppers spend 24% more when using coupons
- 29% of online shoppers will purchase a product they didn’t intend to buy if it’s significantly discounted
- 36% of coupon lovers will not make a purchase if a discount is not offered
- 77% of online shoppers follow brands on social media to stay updated on sales and offers
- Brands that offer promos experience 26% higher average order values
Clearly, promo codes are great for optimizing your marketing strategy. To make them even harder to pass up, make sure you’re offering limited time incentives. Discounts with a time limit incite action and help push reluctant buyers off the fence. It’s not only FOMO on the deal, but for the item itself (maybe a limited supply campaign works for you, too).
If you need a refresher on how to create promo codes, check out this blog.
So, with your holiday products and promo codes in hand, what do you do next? Share the good news! You want to let your fans know that you have festive, limited-time products available and that they’re getting a sweet deal by using your promo code.
Prepare for Black Friday weekend
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the biggest online shopping days of the year. Creators who offer discounts during this weekend can double their sales. We suggest running sales during those days so you can double your sales, too! Again, consult the Countdown Calendar at the Holiday Resource Hub so you’re ready to switch your promotions on your dashboard when the time comes.
Here are some of the best ways you can show off your holiday deals:
Email blasts
According to the same Blippr report, 81% of online shoppers enjoy receiving emails announcing sales and discounts and 91% of brands use email to share promotions.
Additionally, emails are a great way to let your fans know you’re offering holiday products in a fun and creative way. Even if you don’t include a promo code, visually appealing emails that showcase your holiday products will send many fans to your Spring store!
Social media
As stated earlier, many shoppers follow their favorite brands on social media in order to be made aware of current and upcoming promotions and sales.
Social media allows you to share your holiday products with all the creative flare you can muster up through images and videos. Even if you don’t have a large following, still post your holiday products! You may attract new fans from your posts and encourage existing followers to check out your holiday specials!
Videos
Many creators make videos and if you don’t consider doing at least one to annonce your holiday products & promotions. It’s an effective and engaging way to show off you and your products, and entice followers to visit your store.
You can also use videos to show the value of your products and why they need them (by ordering samples of course. That’s next).
Tip 3: Order Samples and Use in Socials
Creators who do so sell 3x more than those who don’t.
We recommend ordering your product samples by October 10th. This gives you enough time for shipping, and for you to create your promo content.
Tip 4: Contests
At the end of the day, people just love to win stuff. It’s amazing what they will do at the thought of something for free. Tap into that natural human instinct by offering that possibility and most importantly, deliver on the promise. Plus this is a fantastic way to not only gain insight, but if set up correctly, can drive more traffic to your store. Here are some easy tips on how to best run social media contests:
Ask your followers to pick a product to promote
The more you listen to what someone wants, the more loyal they become. For example, use your socials to ask your followers to sound off in the comments about which of your products they would like you to offer a promo code for. This, of course, will require them to visit your store to pick a product. Pick a few winners and run the promo for everyone. This method helps with your own decisions on which product to push, drives more traffic to your store, and shows your followers that you care about what they want.
Run a “Name a Holiday Product” contest
The name of a product can make or break it. Why not let your community weigh in on the name of your next holiday-themed product? There are ingenious suggestions everywhere. When you hear the perfect name, you’ll know it. It also makes followers feel they’re involved with your brand because, well…they are! Offer a discount to the winner(s) and ask them to post about it so you can tag it.
Ask your followers to submit new ideas
Engage your followers by requesting them to submit ideas for new products. What this does is empower your community while also getting them to visit your store so they don’t suggest a product you already carry. They might stick around and buy something.
As a creator, you’re probably already a rockstar at sharing your content with your fans. Use your skills and resources to share your holiday products and increase your traffic and sales through promo codes.If you need help increasing product visibility and sales, check out this tips and tricks blog. Happy Selling!