Holiday Checklist: 3 Essential Promotional Tools This Holiday Season

Here is a quick checklist of three promotional must-haves to help your franchise location promote itself through the holiday season.

If your location covers all three items on this list, you are set up for a strong holiday season. If not, use the takeaways under each point for ideas on how to put more of these into practice in your store.

1. Holiday Decorations For Your Store

Skipping holiday decorations risks making your store look out of step with what customers expect this time of year. According to Bloomberg, the majority of US consumers say they are more interested in holiday decorations and seasonal items than usual this year. Restaurants have turned their dining rooms into winter wonderlands with lights and full displays, and larger brands have run holiday light shows to draw attention. A festive store signals to customers that you are ready for the season.

2. Holiday Merchandise For Your Brand

As covered by Vice, several restaurants have created holiday merchandise so distinctive that it earned them free coverage in a major publication. Branded merchandise is one of the best ways to market your business through your most loyal fans, and there is still time to launch it. Stock your location with seasonal t-shirts, signs, or even a bumper sticker that ties the product back to your brand. On-demand print services make small holiday runs easy to produce.

3. Holiday Sales For Your Customers

Customers expect to save during the holidays, so plan to stand out with seasonal specials. Weis Markets earned local news coverage for a holiday rewards program, and McDonald's drew media attention for giving away free food through an app-based rewards plan that thanked customers after each qualifying purchase. Some customers will have more to spend this year and some will have less. However you structure it, make sure you offer a strong deal this holiday season.

The biggest takeaway is that customers are looking for positive energy this year. Be the business that meets that demand: decorate your store for the holidays, offer some branded merchandise, and put a holiday rewards plan in place.