Ring in the New Year with these 12 Festive Marketing Ideas

There’s no better way to enter the new year and give your sales a boost than with a New Year promotion.

All it takes is a little time and creativity to keep customers excited after all the gift-giving. But if you’re low on either of those, we’ve put together 12 New Year marketing ideas to get you started.

Now, cue the sound of clinking champagne glasses for a job well done.

1. Send a New Year’s email.

Many businesses send emails during the Christmas or Hanukkah season using email marketing software. Set your business apart from the pack by sending something before New Year’s instead. Happy New Year marketing campaigns are more likely to get noticed, especially if you’re thoughtful about your messaging and make it worthwhile for customers to open.

Send special offers to select groups of your subscribers, plus email-only deals that you’re not listing on social media or your website.

2. Get your channels in the seasonal spirit.

New Year social media campaign ideas are the perfect way to get customers excited about anything you’ve got coming up. A new, festive avatar or header photo can attract followers to your posts, putting your business at the top of their minds. And with more than 57 million active users on social media in the UK alone it’s a fantastic arena to showcase your products and services without costing the earth in January.

If Pinterest is part of your social marketing strategy, then consider putting together boards of New Year’s party decor, outfits or food and drink ideas as part of your new year promo ideas.

3. Run a festive promotion.

Think of New Year’s-centric sales promotion ideas that will work best for your business. If you’re a clothing boutique, consider running a special on apparel, accessories or beauty products that sparkle. If you have a confectionery shop, package champagne sweets and edible confetti into cheery bundles that are ideal to bring as hostess gifts to New Year’s Eve parties. You can also hand out gift vouchers valid for the New Year to help boost slow January sales.

4. Add some kerb appeal.

If you have a traditional shop space, think about decking out your display window with a New Year’s party scene using products you sell in the shop to catch the attention of everyone passing by.

According to one study, 31% of participants said a shop window display was the biggest factor determining whether or not they visited a store. Something eye-catching can provide a much-needed boost for the start of the year when customer spending is lower.

5. Throw a party.

People look for all sorts of different ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Restaurants charge big for special menus and clubs bring in famous DJs, but not everyone wants to drop a lot of cash to celebrate.

If you’re an artisanal spirits distiller, you could invite customers in for a free party that includes a special tasting. Or, if you work in tech or gaming, you could throw a party that would let guests test out the latest gear. You could also join forces with other small business owners in the area to hold a rocking local event.

Just don’t forget to advertise your New Year Promo ideas. Events are a big draw, whether you’re a brick-and-mortar shop or have a cool, party-friendly office space, so be sure to spread the word with posters and event invites on social media.

6. Extend the festive cheer by catering to impulse buys.

Set your business up for success by anticipating an influx of post-Christmas returns. First, make sure you’ve communicated important return policy factors. If you’re on the high street, think about everything customers might need during a long day of returns: snack items, lip balm, gloves if it’s cold out. Then, stage all those items (plus any other festive specials you’re hoping to unload) close to the register. For every return, encourage shoppers to make a purchase. It’s a win-win.

7. Host a “countdown” contest on your social channels.

Christmas countdowns with daily deals and free extras for email subscribers work great for keeping your customers’ attention, for example, an advent calendar of Christmas offers. Consider translating that idea into a creative New Year’s ‘countdown’ contest.

Ask your followers to submit a New Year’s themed photo and give away prizes for the best submission every day in the week leading up to the 1st of January. Let’s be honest, January is a pretty cold and dark month, so you could even devise a New Year comp to add a bit of cheer and combat the post-festive season blues.

8. Print a calendar.

If you have any money left in your marketing budget at the end of the year, consider customising a calendar for next year that you can email to your best customers or offer as an add-on to festive purchases.

A restaurant could include photos of popular dishes for each month of the year. A dog groomer could showcase cute dog breeds or furry customers. A fun marketing tool like this could keep your business top of mind with customers all year round.

9. Customise your content marketing.

Remember that the general rule for content marketing is to create material that adds value to your customers’ lives. Restaurants can share their chef’s favourite champagne cocktail recipes, salons can post tips on easy do-it-yourself New Year’s Eve party hairstyles, and clothes shops can share their most popular NYE outfits.

10. Target New Year’s resolutions

New-Year-new-you campaign ideas are a great way to convince people they need your products or services to accomplish their goals. Make the most of people’s desire to turn over a new leaf in January and target the common resolutions.

The top three resolutions, according to research, are to exercise more (40%), followed closely by weight loss (35%) and improving dietary habits (33%). In fourth place is getting finances in order (31%).

A discounted subscription to an exercise and weight loss plan can bring in recurring revenue while sales on workout gear can boost income post the Christmas rush. Similarly, create an offer with gift cards where people could get a £25 gift card for £20, for example, to spend on products that help them stick to their resolutions.

11. Thank your loyal customers.

Email marketing and loyalty schemes are a great way to stay in touch with your regular and loyal customers and you can gather data on their spending habits and history with Square Directory. Why not cement your relationship with them in January by sending those regular spenders a small token of your appreciation.

It can be as simple as a discount code thanking them for their custom or the offer of a small gift the next time they visit your store.

12. Share customer success stories from the past year.

There’s nothing like a recommendation to boost your brand and profile, so highlight any customer stories from the past year where they sing your praises. You could focus on how your business has touched and improved their lives using a combination of text, photos and videos.

Common New Year marketing questions

How to market in January?

Most people cut back on spending in the New Year after splurging over Christmas and focus on making their lives better. Find a resolution common to your business and adjust your marketing to customers looking to make a fresh start. A hairdresser could promote a New-Year-new-you discount off their services while a cafe could offer 2-for-1 healthier meals.

How do I come up with a new marketing idea?

Promoting your business can feel relentless at times and it’s not always easy to motivate yourself, especially if you’ve had a big marketing push over Christmas. Ad hoc marketing with random goals can fall flat so think about your longer-term business goals and build a marketing campaign around that.

Do you want to boost brand awareness? Do you intend to launch a new product or service this January? Do you want to drive sales or reduce customer churn? Once you have a goal you can try out ideas for a campaign to promote that goal.

How do I market the New Year?

After the rush of Christmas, it’s easy to take your foot off the gas in January when it’s quieter. But this is the time when you should be redoubling your efforts and tailoring it to the time of the year. Instead of presents, excess festive spending and Boxing Day sales, focus on resolutions, fresh starts and what’s coming up for your business later in the year.

How do I come up with a New Year marketing plan?

To be successful, a well-executed marketing plan is essential and it should include specific goals and strategies for reaching them. It must also be SMART - specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. After all, if you don’t measure your goals, how will you know whether you achieve them and what’s working?

To help you come up with a New Year marketing plan assess the following:

• Look at past campaigns - What did you do last year? What worked well? What didn’t? What could you improve upon for this year? Were there successful campaigns you could replicate?

• Note key dates - Write down holidays, launches etc so you never miss an opportunity. For example, the release of a film can be a springboard for marketing ideas, while understanding when certain holidays are important for planning relevant content e.g, Summer holidays, bank holidays etc.

• Evaluate your budget - Make sure your goals match your budget and concentrate your efforts on the ones that are likely to be most successful. There’s no point spending money on advertising or tactics that don’t give you the best return.

From offering deals to focusing on resolution trends, implementing some – if not all – of the above tips into your Festive marketing strategy will see you reaping the rewards well into the New Year.