The holiday season is a wonderful opportunity for eCommerce businesses to shine. It’s a time when shoppers are eagerly looking for gifts and deals, and are in a generally festive mood. If you’re smart about how you handle holiday promotions, you can pick up a ton of new customers, some of which you might keep for a long time!
To help you do that, we’ve made a list of 31 proven holiday promotion ideas. Take some of the ones you like and they will help your eCommerce store thrive this coming holiday season!
Early Preparation
Start planning your holiday promotions early to stay ahead of the competition and capture more customers. Early preparation helps you organize your campaigns better.
That means you’ll have enough stock to meet the holiday demand. If you want to succeed, you need to get a head start to maximize your holiday sales potential.
#1: Offer pre-holiday sneak peeks.
Generate excitement by showcasing upcoming holiday products early. Share sneak peeks on your website and social media to build anticipation and build up early interest in your offerings.
One way you could do this is to tease your customers with a glimpse of a limited-edition holiday item or a special bundle. It’s a tried and true technique! Early previews create buzz and encourage customers to plan their purchases, and that leads to higher engagement and sales.
Another example: you could post a sneak peek video on Instagram to showcase a holiday-themed gift set. For the loyal customers following you Instagram, this could make them eager to grab it as soon as it launches.
#2: Implement early bird discounts.
Reward early shoppers with special discounts. Offering early bird discounts encourages customers to make their holiday purchases sooner, boosting your early sales and reducing the last-minute rush.
For instance, you could offer a 10% discount for orders placed before December 1st. Early bird deals can also help you gauge the popularity of your products and adjust your inventory accordingly. That way, you can be sure you’re well-stocked for the peak shopping season.
#3: Host a holiday preview sale.
Organize a special sale event to preview holiday items. A holiday preview sale gives customers a chance to buy exclusive products before they’re available to the general public.
This strategy can create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, driving more traffic to your store. As an example, you could host an online event where loyal customers can access new holiday merchandise a week before the official release.
This not only boosts sales but also strengthens customer loyalty.
#4: Create VIP exclusive offers.
Make your loyal customers feel special with VIP-only deals. Send exclusive offers to your VIP customers, and you’ll likely see repeat purchases as a result. VIP deals can include early access to sales, special discounts, or unique holiday bundles that are not available to regular customers.
For example, a VIP email could offer a 20% discount on a new holiday collection, available only to your most loyal patrons. Not only will this incentivize customers to buy, but they’ll probably look forward to your next email too!
Email Marketing
According to Litmus, the average ROI for email marketing is $36 per every dollar spent. Saying that’s an excellent return on investment is a massive understatement.
Any way you look at it, email marketing is a great way to make sales and keep in touch with your audience. The trick is provide the right people with the right messages at the right time. This comes down to segmenting your audience by behavior and interest, and figuring out what offers they’re most interested in.
Here are some tips on how you can use email marketing to your advantage over the holidays.
#5: Launch a 12 Days of Deals campaign.
One easy way to excite your customers is to run a 12 Days of Deals email campaign. Each day, offer a different promotion or discount to keep customers returning to your store. This strategy builds excitement and encourages repeated visits, increasing the chances of multiple purchases.
For instance, on Day 1, you could offer 15% off all sweaters. On Day 2, a buy-one-get-one-free deal on accessories.
But it also serves another purpose – you get a chance to run 12 different deals. Seeing who clicks on which emails and who makes purchases can help you segment your audience. Then you can use that to make better emails in the future.
#6: Curate gift guides by price.
Some of the people on your mailing list might be shopping for others. To engage them, you can create gift guides sorted by price to help customers find the perfect gifts within their budget.
Send these guides via email to make holiday shopping easier for your subscribers. Price-based gift guides can simplify the decision-making process, which takes away one more barrier to making a purchase.
For example, you could have sections like “Gifts Under $25,” “Gifts Under $50,” and “Luxury Gifts” to help shoppers quickly find what they need.
#7: Send a holiday countdown series.
Sometimes, it helps to create an event, if only so you have something to celebrate. Online stores do this really well with countdown series.
Send regular emails counting down to a big holiday sale or event, offering sneak peeks and exclusive deals along the way. Countdown series create a sense of urgency and excitement. And, of course, this drives more traffic to your store.
Think about it: you could send an email each day of December leading up to Christmas, each with a special offer or a new product highlight.
#8: Promote exclusive email subscriber discounts.
If you’re new to email marketing, sometimes, priority 1 is just building up the mailing list. So you need to give people an opt-in incentive.
A simple way to do this is to reward your email subscribers with exclusive discounts. Offer special deals only available to your email list to encourage sign-ups and loyalty. Exclusive email discounts can make your subscribers feel valued and increase the likelihood of repeat purchases.
One way you could do this is to offer a 25% discount code in your holiday newsletter. Then all you have to do is make it available only to those who have subscribed to your emails.
Social Media Engagement
Social media is great for reaching a broad audience and creating interactive and engaging content. You can use a bunch of strategies to keep your followers excited about your holiday promotions.
Here are a few simple ideas to get your wheels turning.
#9: Run a social media advent calendar.
Create a social media advent calendar, sharing a new deal or promotion each day leading up to the holidays. It gives customers the perfect excuse to check your store every day.
When you do this, your customers can wake up each day to a new surprise offer. It’s like opening a little gift every morning.
To give you some ideas, Day 1 could feature a 20% discount on all accessories, while Day 2 offers a free gift with any purchase.
#10: Host holiday-themed contests.
Boost engagement by hosting holiday-themed contests on your social media platforms. Contests can include photo submissions, caption contests, or holiday trivia, offering prizes to the winners.
Picture your followers competing to post the best holiday-themed photo or coming up with the funniest caption for a festive image. Contests create a fun and interactive way to engage with your audience and promote your products.
For instance, a “Best Holiday Decor” contest could encourage customers to showcase their decorations, with the winner receiving a shopping spree.
#11: Collaborate with influencers for exclusive promotions.
Partner with influencers to reach a broader audience with exclusive promotions. Influencers can help you tap into their followers’ trust and loyalty, driving more traffic and sales to your store.
There are a lot of ways you can do this, but one common way is to provide special discount codes for influencers. This helps with tracking the success of your partnership as well. You can also work together on giveaways or sponsored content.
Imagine your favorite influencer announcing a 15% discount code exclusively for their followers. This not only drives sales but also enhances your brand’s credibility.
When in doubt, work with influencers that feel genuine. They tend to last longer!
#12: Share user-generated holiday content.
Nothing your marketing team can say will ever be as powerful as what your actual customers say.
So with that in mind, encourage your customers to share their holiday experiences with your products on social media. Share user-generated content (UGC) on your platforms to build a sense of community and authenticity.
UGC is the perfect example of social proof. Good UGC makes your brand more credible and can pull in new shoppers. For example, reposting a customer’s photo of your product under their Christmas tree shows real-life usage and satisfaction, encouraging others to buy.
Website Optimization
Slow websites ruin sales. Your site needs to be a lean, mean selling machine for the coming holidays.
Here are some tips on how you can optimize your website, improve the shopping experience, and increase your conversion rate.
#13: Create holiday-themed landing pages.
Design landing pages with holiday themes to capture the festive spirit. To do this, use holiday graphics, colors, and messaging to make these pages appealing.
Picture a homepage decked out in red and green with twinkling lights and snowflakes. It’s the perfect way to instantly put visitors in the holiday shopping mood. It’s no wonder that holiday-themed landing pages can not only improve engagement, but also make your promotions more memorable.
#14: Offer gift wrapping options at checkout.
Provide gift wrapping services at checkout to make holiday shopping easier for customers. This added convenience can increase your average order value and make your store a go-to destination for holiday shoppers.
Think about a busy parent completing their holiday shopping in one go. They would no doubt be relieved to know that their gifts will arrive beautifully wrapped and ready to place under the tree. Convenience is, itself, a product worth selling!
#15: Highlight limited-time offers with countdown timers.
Use countdown timers to create urgency for limited-time offers. Displaying the remaining time for a deal encourages customers to act quickly, boosting conversion rates and driving more sales during the holiday season.
So think about a timer ticking down. Imagine it showing only 30 minutes left to get 30% off your purchase. If you’re like many people, then that might be enough to push you to make that decision fast!
#16: Optimize for mobile shoppers.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly to cater to the increasing number of mobile shoppers. Think from the customer’s perspective – if you’re trying to shop on your phone but the website keeps crashing or loading slowly, would you really stick around to finish the purchase? Most would not.
A responsive design and fast loading times can enhance the shopping experience for mobile users, leading to higher sales. Make sure your site runs smoothly on mobile devices to keep those sales rolling in.
In-Store and Online Integration
Do you have both physical and online locations? You can integrate your online and in-store experiences to provide a seamless shopping journey. This approach can drive traffic to both your physical and online stores, maximizing sales opportunities.
#17: Promote Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store (BOPIS) options.
Encourage customers to buy online and pick up in-store (BOPIS). This option combines the convenience of online shopping with the immediacy of in-store pickup, appealing to last-minute holiday shoppers.
Imagine a customer buying a gift online during their lunch break and picking it up on their way home—super convenient and time-saving. But don’t forget the added bonus – when the customer comes in to pick up their item, they may very well make another purchase!
#18: Offer special in-store discounts for online followers.
Reward your online followers with exclusive in-store discounts. Promote these offers on your social media channels to drive foot traffic to your physical locations and increase in-store sales.
For example, you could announce on Instagram that followers who show a specific post at checkout get 20% off their in-store purchase.
#19: Host live shopping events on social media.
Engage customers with live shopping events on social media platforms. Show off your holiday products, offer exclusive deals, and interact with viewers in real-time to create a fun and engaging shopping experience.
As an example, wouldn’t it be neat to have a live video where a host walks through the store? Along the way, they could highlight special holiday items, answer questions, and give out discount codes to viewers. It would be like a personal shopping experience from the comfort of home.
Customer Loyalty
Paying attention to customer loyalty during the holidays can lead to repeat business and long-term relationships over the course of the next year. So if you’re serious about maximizing long-term customer value, think about loyalty programs and exclusive offers. You want to give customers a reason to keep coming back.
#20: Launch a holiday rewards program.
Introduce a holiday rewards program to incentivize repeat purchases. Offer points or discounts for every purchase, encouraging customers to shop more frequently during the holiday season.
Imagine every time you buy something, you earn points that can be redeemed for discounts or free items. It’s like getting a little gift every time you shop. For example, “Earn 10 points for every dollar spent, and get $10 off once you reach 100 points.”
#21: Offer bonus points for purchases during the holiday season.
Reward customers with bonus loyalty points for purchases made during the holiday season. This strategy can increase sales and encourage customers to choose your store for their holiday shopping.
Picture this: you’re already earning points, but during the holidays, you get double or even triple points for every purchase. It’s a great incentive to do all your holiday shopping in one place.
For instance, “Double points on all purchases from December 1st to December 31st!”
#22: Provide exclusive deals for returning customers.
Offer special deals exclusively for returning customers. Showing appreciation for their loyalty can strengthen your relationship and also make them more likely to shop with you again.
Have you ever gotten an email that says, “Thanks for being a loyal customer! Here’s a special 20% off just for you.” If so, it probably made you feel valued and more inclined to return.
Upselling and Cross-Selling
Smart use of upselling and cross-selling techniques during the normal sales process can help you increase your average order value. And it doesn’t have to be at your customer’s expense either! You can suggest relevant products and make enticing bundles, both of which could make for an even better shopping experience.
But that’s just the surface – check out some of the ideas below for more inspiration.
#23: Bundle products for holiday specials.
Create special holiday bundles that combine complementary products at a discounted price. Bundling products can increase the perceived value and encourage customers to spend more.
For instance, “Holiday Bundle: Get a scarf, hat, and gloves set for just $29.99.” That’s a pretty good deal overall, and if your customer is already shopping for gloves, there’s a good chance they need a hat too, even if they would have otherwise forgotten.
#24: Suggest complementary products at checkout.
Recommend complementary products at checkout to enhance the shopping experience and increase sales. Displaying helpful suggestions can prompt customers to add more items to their cart. For example, if someone buys a French press, you can always suggest a coffee grinder and a nice whole-bean blend. That way they can actually use the product they just bought!
If you need another example, then consider the following. You’re buying a laptop, and at checkout, you see suggestions for a laptop bag and a mouse. If you’re working on the go, then both of those purchases would make a lot of sense. And having the suggestions delivered right to you would be very convenient.
Six magic words to keep in mind here: “People who bought this also bought…”
#25: Create themed product bundles.
Develop themed product bundles that cater to different holiday needs and preferences. If you do this well, then your themed bundles can attract customers looking for unique and convenient gift options.
Imagine a “Winter Wonderland” bundle with a snow globe, a holiday mug, and a cozy blanket. It’s an attractive package that’s perfect for the season. Perhaps it’s a great fit for Secret Santa for that coworker you don’t know all that well.
Post-holiday strategies
When the holidays end, the sales don’t have to. If you play your cards right, you can still keeps sales up even even after the holidays. To do this, you need strategic promotions and offers.
With that in mind, here are some post-holiday strategies to help clear out excess inventory and keep customers engaged.
#26: Promote post-holiday clearance sales.
Encourage customers to continue shopping with post-holiday clearance sales. Discounting leftover holiday stock can attract bargain hunters and help you quickly clear inventory. That way, you make some sales and room for new products.
#27: Offer coupons for January shopping.
Provide customers with coupons valid for January purchases. This strategy encourages repeat business and helps maintain sales momentum into the new year. Customers appreciate the savings, and it keeps your store top of mind.
For example, you could always give out coupons that say “Save 20% on your January purchase!” Or you could say something like “New Year, New Deals: 15% off your first purchase in January!”
This is a hard strategy to mess up, so you have lots of options.
#28: Encourage gift card purchases with a post-holiday bonus.
Promote gift card purchases by offering a bonus. For example, offer a small bonus gift card for every gift card purchased. This tactic can drive immediate sales and encourage future visits to your store.
Wouldn’t it be great, for example, to buy a $50 gift card and get an extra $10 gift card for free?
#29: Send thank you emails with exclusive New Year deals.
Show appreciation by sending thank you emails to holiday shoppers. Include exclusive deals for the new year to encourage continued patronage. A personalized thank you can strengthen customer relationships and foster loyalty.
This could take the form of an email that says, “Thank you for shopping with us this holiday season! Here’s a special offer just for you.” Then you have the perfect chance to slip in something like: “Exclusive New Year Deal: 20% off your next purchase!”
#30: Organize an exclusive event for top shoppers.
Reward your top shoppers with an exclusive event. This could be an early access sale or a special appreciation event. Exclusivity makes customers feel valued and can turn them into long-term loyal patrons.
You could send out an invitation to a VIP shopping event with early access to new arrivals and special discounts. For example, you could use copy like: “Join us for an exclusive VIP shopping event! Early access and 25% off new collections.”
#31: Provide special offers to newsletter subscribers.
Give your newsletter subscribers special offers as a post-holiday thank you. Exclusive discounts or early access to sales can boost engagement and reward your loyal audience, which naturally encourages them to stay subscribed.
That could look like getting an email with a special discount code just for being a subscriber. For example, “Thank you for subscribing! Enjoy 20% off your next purchase.”
Final Thoughts
Many long-term customers will come to your store for the first time because of the holidays. Their guards will be down and they simply need to get gifts for others. It’s an excuse to take a chance on new stores.
But statistically speaking, some of them will want to stick around for a long time. It’s in your best interest to do everything you can to promote your store to get tons of new customers during the shopping frenzy at the end of the year.
Take a few of these holiday promotion ideas and run with them. You might be surprised how big of a difference they can make!
