03 Sep Maximize Holiday Traffic with these Proven Strategies
Summer is on its way out, and whether you experienced a slump or a rush this season, as a savvy craft business owner, you already have your sights trained on the holidays. First, give yourself a pat on the back for being on track. Second, dive into Stitchcraft Marketing’s top tactics to boost your foot (or online) traffic for the upcoming holiday shopping season.
Create SMART Goals (for everything)
Dramatic? Maybe. Serious? Completely. Michelle, our Operations and Financial Strategist, has been known to say, “Where the sales are weak, the data speaks.” Without SMART goals, the quantifiable data to reflect on whether your efforts were successful or not may be sparse or nonexistent. Although you probably got started in this business because you’re a creative, you’re likely still in business because you don’t make most of your decisions based on feelings.
Listen to our podcast episode to get a refresher on SMART goals, but here’s the TLDR:
Set your goals to this acronym:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable or achievable
Relevant
Time-bound
Pro Tip: Don’t just set the goal; set a time to look back and review what worked and what didn’t… and keep that appointment!
Celebrate Your Community (and be loud about it)
Maybe your business is only online and hosts a group, maybe your brick-and-mortar is part of the local chamber of commerce, or maybe you are simply part of a network of like-minded people. Whatever the structure of your business, you and your business are members of at least one community. The holidays are a time to lean in harder and encourage your audience to join in.
Last year, Dave’s BERNINA celebrated and supported their local communities with an advent calendar special. For each donation per day of the advent calendar, shoppers received a percentage point to stack into one super discount. Not only did Dave’s BERNINA collect items for local individuals in need, but they also kept it fun and accessible for their customers.
Don’t have the capacity to collect and store donations? Try partnering with other local or cooperative businesses to host an event. If you’re still trying to hook Joann’s lost fabric shoppers, try a wine and fabric pairing event. They won’t know how amazing your fabrics feel until they touch them, and wine (or a little liquor in general) can be a strong lure for many.
Without a physical location? Consider hosting a shopping passport challenge with your online business besties, with bonuses for your shoppers and a percentage donated to your organization of choice. Try out a multi-vendor ecommerce platform or Shopify Collective to make this collaboration a little easier (Shopify, 2024).
Host special kids crafting events, where the parents are free to shop your store while the kids play. Set up a coffee and tea station for the parents to keep them browsing longer, and market these events everywhere, from your local paper and bulletin board, to your socials, newsletters, and online calendar, to schools and after-school clubs. Parents will seek places they can keep the little ones busy while also getting a small break themselves. This is a great time to have a gift guide ready, too.
Pro Tip: Don’t be shy about marketing your event. Announce it, talk about it, talk about it again, talk about it some more, and oh yeah, talk about it again. Give people ample opportunity to see your posts or advertisements about your events during this very busy, high-stimulation, easy-to-forget-things season.
Create a Gift Guide (and make it irresistible)
A gift guide could just focus on your product offerings, but we like to extend support and admiration to other businesses this season. A well-performing gift guide will hit the desires and the pain points of your top customers, and make it easy for their loved ones to shop for them.
Share it on your social channels, write a blog about it, create a YouTube video and make Reels out of the highlights, and share it in your newsletters. Try adding a PDF and linking to it in your newsletters, blog, and posts so that your loyal shoppers can share with their friends and family for that extra nudge.
Consider a weekly drip based on themes of your top customer types, like the complete novice, the intermediate (and ready to upgrade), the professional (or may as well be), and the free spirit experimenter. Or, try out the 12 Days of Christmas or 8 Nights of Hanukkah, with a top giftable item or set of items released each day. Talk about a content boost!
Pro Tip: Many millennials and Gen-Xers have fond memories of circling their wish list in the Toys’R’Us mailer that would be delivered around Thanksgiving. Try printing out a few copies of your gift guide and have them ready at checkout so these shoppers can go down memory lane… and then hand it to their significant other.
Participate in the Local Craft Market (or host your own market)
Bring top sellers and easy up-sell items, like hostess gifts and stocking stuffers, to build out a shoppable booth with easy decisions. Remember, the holiday season is an overwhelming time for most, so decision fatigue and overstimulation can be quickly triggered. You can display or have handouts outlining your full offerings, but by limiting the items on presentation, your space will be welcoming and refreshing.
Consider a special offer or drawing entry for following your socials or signing up for your newsletter on the spot. Or, tell buyers that if they come into your shop by the end of the month and show off their market purchase, they’ll receive a discount on anything they buy that shopping trip.
Make your booth dynamic and interactive. Offer kits or classes in your business? Have a unique process for your products that you can bring to the market? Show these off with a Try-It-Out or Demo station for kits or processes, or offer a mini class directly in your booth. Letting creative browsers get hands-on with your product is only going to help the sale, and you can likely write off the supplies as a marketing expense.
Examples:
- Karlie Hunter of Handful of Made recently showed off her embroidery kit Try-It-Out station in this Reel.
- Adam and Danella McKinnon of McKinnon Collective set up their Juki at each market. Adam brings in activity from browsers and shoppers while actively working the machine, as seen in this Reel.
Pro Tip: Check with your local market show runner to see if they are offering special rates or spaces for those teaching classes or demos.
Make Shopping for Others Feel Indulgent (because they’ll get something, too)
Lastly, there’s always the special deal. A top offer we suggest to our retailer clients is a monthly punch card, which you can read about in detail, or watch our Office Hours covering different gift card strategies to get the details. Our punch card strategy keeps customers coming back to your store each month of the year. Other great options to bring shoppers in include Buy One, Get One, Buy This, Get That, and Buy This Now, Get That Later.
Buy One, Get One
Buy One, Get One, affectionately known as BOGO, is as simple as it sounds. Offer this with a project kit so friends can DIY together, making the experience all the more fun. Be sure your branding is on the packaging and also inside the kit, so both friends know where to go for their next project.
Buy This, Get That
Buy This, Get That is also straightforward. Here are three ways we suggest employing this:
- Offer a coordinating mini project kit with a coordinating full project kit.
- EX: a stuffed keychain or small quilted bag kit included with the purchase of a full quilt project kit.
- Offer a coordinating supply or tool with the purchase of your “This” item.
- EX: offer a free sashiko grid tool with the purchase of a starter sashiko kit, or a pair of knitting needles and stitch markers with the purchase of a sweater pattern and all the yarn needed for the pattern.
- Offer a discount if additional services of the same or similar service type are purchased at the same time.
- EX: Extend 10%-25% off the second class if booked at the same time. Sweeten the deal by making it clear that this discount could be for a friend to join your client at the class they’re interested in.
Buy This Now, Get That Later
Stitchcraft Marketing loves Buy This Now, Get That Later because it’s built in that your customer is going to have to come back around or miss out on their bonus. We suggest being smart about your timing. If you are comfortable with your holiday traffic, consider making your “Get That Later” offer for the slower months following the holidays. This offer also performs well as a Thanksgiving time special, with the “Get That Later” coming up in December. The timing is up to you.
Try out highly giftable items for your “Buy This Now,” and then something for your typical or loyal shoppers for your “Get That Later.” Consider a gift card that isn’t sent out via email or can’t be collected from your shop until your chosen date, or a special release that will only be available to those who participated in this deal.
Pro Tip: Discounts typically only move the needle enough to get shoppers to complete the purchase if the proper psychology is in play AND it’s easy for them to complete. Keep it indulgent, irresistible, and easy to understand.
Interested in these strategies but unsure about how to execute them for your business? Reach out so we can work this out with you. Stitchcraft Marketing is a marketing agency made up of crafters solely serving businesses and brands in the craft industry.
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