The festive cheer is upon us, and I am sure the majority of us are looking to spend quality time with loved ones and indulge in creamy eggnog and food! However, the festival is so much more than singing carols and decking the halls. It is also about “giving and receiving.”

As a small business owner, you know better than anyone else how valuable your customers are to your continued success. And irrespective of sector, Christmas is responsible for a substantial portion of your business’ total sales.

That’s why, take the opportunity to not only sell to your customers but also “give back” to them, this Christmas season. Here are five simple but effective ways to win your customers’ loyalty for the year to come:

1. Sponsor an event

A great way to connect with customers is to sponsor an event in your community, be it a local marathon or a children’s fete. That not only supports your community’s social life but also helps you boost your brand’s visibility.

You can also set up a stall at the event where customers can come and interact with you, learn about your product and get discount coupons or free samples. That is an excellent alternative to the usual business-oriented events, as customers get to see that you take a genuine interest in community life.

2. Collaborate with other small businesses

Another useful way to boost your business’ visibility is by collaborating with other small businesses to sponsor an event or campaign. This exposes your brand to their audience and their brand to yours.

The important thing here is to choose a brand whose products and services complement yours rather than competing with them. By doing this, you get a chance to tap into more diversified markets and understand the consumption patterns of your customers better.

3. Donate to a cause

Research from Cone Communications shows that 92% of customers want to buy from businesses that support a cause. Therefore, this holiday season, you can give back to the community by donating a percentage of your profits to an NGO or charitable cause that you genuinely believe in.

You can share the news about what you are doing by sending out an exclusive holiday email to your customers or talking about it on social media. Use the right tone in your writing so that you connect with your customers emotionally and show them that you truly believe in supporting the cause.

4. Host a contest

Nothing amps up the festive mood among your customers like a giveaway in which one or more of them stand to win prizes. Host a festive-themed concert that is open to both your online and offline customers and offer attractive gifts to the winners.

To boost participation, you can also offer small vouchers or samples to everyone who takes part. Create a buzz about the contest on social media, encourage your employees to send out regular content to promote the contest and announce the winners with fanfare.

You can also host a series of contests to increase the chances of winning and to keep up a sustained flow of participation.

5. Host a get-together

One of the best ways to encourage festive cheer among your employees and customers alike is to host a get-together for them. This allows your customers a behind-the-scenes look at how your business functions, thus allowing them to feel like insiders.

Create a buzz about the event in the weeks leading up to it by sending out invites and sharing “sneak peek” content about it on social media. Host the event at a venue that allows plenty of scope for mingling.

You can serve snacks and mocktails at the event, have live music playing and organize some fun contests for everyone to participate in. Be sure to have goodie bags ready for all your customers to take away at the end of the event so that they can have a memento of the pleasant evening you hosted for them.

Endnotes

The Christmas time signals “buy, buy, buy.” Therefore, while the internet and local shops are saturated with deals to attract customers aggressively, there’s no better time for your business to stand out and “give back” to the community. So, do it now!

Lastly, I hope you have a little relaxation and reflection time set aside this holiday season. Everyone entrepreneur deserves to take a pause and breathe. So do you. Happy holidays!