The lead up to Christmas is an extremely busy one for shoppers and businesses alike. During the busy festive season, making your business stand out can help set you apart from the competition. It is not too late to make the most of this time of year, so join us in counting down these final weeks to Christmas with our top tips for making the most out of the festive season.

1. HOST A FESTIVE EVENT
This is a great way to share all of your festive offers with your clients and encourage them to purchase. Ensure your offers are attractive and a way to entice as well as reward your loyal customers. It’s also a lovely way to celebrate the end of the year with your staff and clients.

2. SEND A CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER
Keep your clients in the loop with your festive offerings and holiday closure period. This can be in the form of an email to your client database. It can also be an opportunity to connect with old clients who may not have purchased from you in some time. Make it fun and festive!

3. TREAT YOUR CLIENTS
Everyone loves a special treat! Spoil your clients and let them know how thankful you are for their continued support. It could be in the form of a gift that you hand to your clients, or something as simple as a handwritten Christmas card or a morning/afternoon tea treat during their visit. This is also a great time to reward your loyal customers with discounts and special deals.

4. OFFER LONGER OPENING HOURS
Clients want to look and feel their best especially around this time of the year – even if that means trying their luck with a last minute appointment. Consider extending your trading hours on certain days in the lead up to Christmas Day to ensure you can fit in as many clients as possible. Don’t overdo it though, ensure the extended trading hours are by appointment only and communicate with your clients what time you have available – they will be thankful to you for trying to accommodate them!

5. CREATE A SELFIE STATION
Have some fun with your clients and get them interacting with your staff. Ask them for a photo post makeup or skin treatment, with a staff member or by themselves. To add a festive touch you could have props available. Share the images on your social media channels, with the clients permission of course! This adds a ‘real’ element to your social media and will help to strengthen relationships with existing and new clients.

6. AUTOMATE IMPORTANT MESSAGES
Ensure that you have clearly communicated your Christmas closure details with your clients. Add it to your website, your phone message and share it on social media. You can also set up automatic replies on your emails and social media accounts to let your clients know when you will be back and able to respond to any enquiries. 

7. RUN A COMPETITION
Run a festive giveaway with your online audience – running a social media competition is a great way to encourage online engagement with your business. It’s also an opportunity to reward your followers and gain new ones. Organise an attractive prize and ask your followers to tell you why they should win it by commenting on the social media post. Alternatively, you could offer an in-clinic giveaway – if a stockist spends over a certain amount, or buys a particular treatment in the month of December, they go into the draw to win a prize pack or service voucher.

8. REWARD YOUR STAFF
A thank you goes a very long way in showing your appreciation for your hardworking staff. Holding a staff party or get together is also a great way to reward your team and spend some time with them outside of work.

9. CREATE A MEMORABLE FESTIVE DISPLAY
Don’t be the Christmas Grinch! Merchandise, merchandise, merchandise – get into the festive spirit and share your love of Christmas with some fun decorations and displays. Showcase your gift sets and favourite holiday gift ideas – entice customers into your store! 

10. GET ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Don’t forget about your online audience! Remember to share all of your festive deals online as well as any special events or treatments you may have. Showcase your products and entice followers to come in-store and purchase from you. Share photos of your festive displays in-store, your staff and clients. Most importantly, have some fun with it, after all it is the most wonderful time of year!

See what other stockists are up to during the festive season by following our Instagram page: @margifoxdistibutors

Image: Christmas Tree at Daguanno Hair Design, courtesy of @daguannohairdesign

Image: jane iredale QLD Account Executives, Alice Henderson and Amanda Davies at a Festive event with Santa, courtesy of Real Skin, The Facial Hub.