How to drive your sales this silly season

The holiday season is finally upon us, and while many see the season as a time for rest and relaxation, most business owners have other plans, writes Harry Lowes, Director, GBG Mid-Market, Meta ANZ.

The festive season is a crucial time for many small businesses. According to Meta’s most recent Global State of Small Business Report, 25 per cent of small businesses globally reported that they expect to make more than half of their annual revenue between October 1st and December 31st 2022.

Small businesses have navigated through a tough few years, and in spite of all the challenges, the majority have remained optimistic. They continue to seek ways to equip themselves with new tools to strengthen their brands. They’ve adapted their business models and pivoted online to drive revenue and boost growth.

Try these steps to boost your brand and increase sales

Step 1: Establish foundations and reach customers early

People are naturally in discovery mode when using social media – they’re open to discovering brands and products that align with their interests. To drive demand and grow your business, it’s more important than ever to create connections from discovery to purchase.

It is crucial for businesses to prepare for the shopping season and drive a long tail of sales by setting strong foundations. Consider how your data, creative, media and measurement are set up, how regularly they’re updated, and whether they can be connected to give you full visibility across your operations.

Ideally, you want to set these foundations well ahead of festive sales events so you can reach consumers during quieter periods and build brand recognition, without the added clutter of competitor offers during major sales periods.

One small business driving success through regular social marketing is the Western Australia based skincare brand, AntiBeauty. Ben Gardner, AntiBeauty owner, left his career in the mainstream beauty industry to create his own brand. The business is an award-winning, clean skincare brand, with the ethos that beauty should be inclusive, ethical and vegan.

AntiBeauty often runs various ad campaigns, especially during large promotional periods, such as Black Friday and the end-of-year festive season. By continually building and promoting their strong brand message, AntiBeauty has been able to cut through the noise, attract an authentic following, and present their offers to the most relevant customers. By tapping into social media and leveraging tools like Reels and Instagram Shop, AntiBeauty has seen a 786 per cent rise in sales over the last two years since joining Facebook and Instagram.

Step 2: Innovate and build loyalty

Innovation should be at the core of every small business. If you’re constantly developing, then you can unlock new and better ways to deliver on what your customers want. If you are thinking of targeting a new market, testing new products, or trialling a fresh way of working, don’t lose sight of why you started your company.

People want to buy into your business and your vision and ethos, rather than just buying from your business. Regardless of what you try, ensure that every person who visits your social channels and website knows what your business’ mission is. In a time where consumers increasingly care what brands stand for, this is what will keep your customers coming back.

The festive season is a great opportunity for businesses to build momentum and maximise broader targeting, especially while purchasing is at its peak. On key sales days like Boxing Day, business return outpaces costs, making this an essential time to try something different and reach new customers. A YouGov study of over 1,500 Australians shows that Meta is the top platform for online discovery, overtaking eCommerce and search. It also notes that one in three holiday shoppers surveyed have purchased a product they discovered via a personalised ad on Meta – further demonstrating the value of targeted engagement.

After your peak sales moment(s), it is important to continue to drive loyalty with new customers. Our insights show that when the new year rolls around, costs per impression are down more than conversion rates. The aforementioned research also shows 41 per cent of holiday shoppers usually continue their shopping past the season, making it an ideal time to stay at the forefront of customers’ minds to convert them to regular shoppers.

Whether a business is looking to revamp their online advertising or wanting to try their hand at short-form video for the first time, check out Meta’s small business marketing guide for more advertising tips across the season and well into the new year.

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