The holidays may feel like they’re still a long way off, but September is the perfect time for businesses to start planning their holiday marketing.

Customers will soon be thinking about holiday shopping, dining, parties, gifts and year-end celebrations. Getting your promotions ready now gives you time to create a strong offer, prepare your marketing materials and make sure customers know what your business has to offer.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few ideas to get you thinking.

7 Holiday Promotion Ideas for Your Business

1. Create a Holiday Special
Offer a limited-time discount, holiday package, bundled service or seasonal promotion that gives customers a reason to act.

2. Position Your Products or Services as Gifts
You don’t have to be a retailer to offer a great gift. Restaurants, salons, entertainment venues, fitness businesses and professional service providers can all promote gift cards, certificates, memberships or experiences.

3. Help Businesses with Their Holiday Celebrations
Do you offer catering, event space, entertainment, photography, printing, promotional products, employee gifts or other services? Remind local businesses that you can help with their holiday parties and year-end celebrations.

4. Host a Holiday Event or Open House
Give customers a reason to visit with a holiday open house, special shopping event, customer appreciation celebration or seasonal activity.

5. Promote Corporate and Employee Gifts
Holiday gifts aren’t just for family and friends. If you offer gift baskets, branded merchandise, client gifts, employee appreciation items or other corporate gift options, start promoting them early.

6. Highlight Ways to Give Back
Nonprofits can use the holiday season to promote donation drives, volunteer opportunities, Giving Tuesday campaigns and other ways businesses and individuals can support the community.

7. Encourage Customers to Book Early
If the holidays are a busy time for your business, encourage customers to make reservations, schedule appointments or place orders early. Creating a sense of urgency can help you fill your calendar before the holiday rush begins.

What Should You Prepare Now?

Once you decide what you want to promote, start gathering the pieces you’ll need to market it. Have a short description of your offer, important dates, a website or registration link, and a good-quality photo or promotional graphic ready to go.

Most importantly, keep your message simple. Customers should immediately understand what you’re offering, why they want it and what they need to do next.

And We Want to Help You Promote It!

The Elgin Area Chamber is planning a special Member Holiday Promotions feature in the November Click & Connect, giving EAC members an opportunity to showcase their holiday specials, gift ideas, events, seasonal services and more.

That means now is the time to start thinking about what your business wants our community to know about this holiday season.

Submission details and deadlines will be coming soon, so start preparing your holiday promotion now.

When our community chooses local businesses for holiday shopping, dining, services and celebrations, those dollars stay closer to home and help strengthen our entire business community.

Let’s make this a season to shop local, support local and celebrate local!