About this episode.

What are some of the things you can do right now, that you can implement today that are going to help you increase your sales in the lead up to Christmas, and set you up for an amazing 2022?

Lets focus on some quick wins - things that you can do NOW to increase your visibility and your sales.

This episode is part 2 of a 3 part series that I have put together for you to help you not only make the most of the Quarter 4 shopping period, however to also help you set yourself up to market your brand for long term success.

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Welcome back, this is part 2 

In part one we discussed some of the reasons you might be seeing engagement on social media, however that engagement isn’t translating into sales on your website.

This was a real dive into some of the more foundational things that we need to look at when we feel that we’re doing the work, but might not be getting the results that we want. 

If you can identify with this and you haven’t yet listened to the episode I encourage you to quickly jump back one episode to episode 21 and have a listen - it’s called why you’re getting engagement but not sales and it is going to help you identify a few things that might be slowing you down on achieving the results that you want. 

Today’s episode is all about the things that you can do right now, that you can begin implementing as soon as you finish this episode that are going to help you increase your sales in the lead up to Christmas, and into 2022. 

The focus is on quick wins, things that you can do now to increase your visibility and your sales.

Breaking it down not only into the types of activities that you can do to generate sales, however focusing on what you can do, or ways that you can reach and speak directly to people who are at different stages of the customer journey. 

So, lets just jump straight into it.

Number 1 - The first thing is to get in touch with the people who have previously made a purchase with you.

Someone who has already had a positive purchase experience with you is 70% more likely to shop with you again. 

If you’ve been in business for a little while and have built up an email list, you should be contacting this list a minimum of once every week in this last part of the year. 

The people on this list are warm leads, in a lot of instances they are going to be the easiest to get over the line to make a purchase with you as they already know who you are, they love your product and they have literally asked to hear from you - they want you to tell them what you have available and what they could purchase from you.

You could offer your list a discount, a free gift with purchase, free shipping, an upgrade on shipping, exclusive product bundles, a tiered discount where the discount amount or percentage increases the more they spend - or an exclusive opportunity to purchase something prior to it being made public for anyone to purchase. 

Think about what’s going to get them to not only open the email, however click a link in the email and get them over to your website. 

Number 2 - Ask your customers or your subscribers to refer you to a friend

Research tells us that 91% of people trust referrals from friends, and people are 4 times more likely to purchase when referred by a friend.

How could you do this?! Think about offering your customer or subscriber a unique and exclusive discount or offer to pass on to someone they know - not only does this allow you to reach a new potential customer, it provides a great opportunity for your customer to pass on something a little special to a friend.

Think about a time when you have purchased something that you’ve absolutely loved and one of your friends commented on it, now imagine being able to pass on an offer or discount that would enable your friend to make that same purchase also - how good would it feel to pass along a special offer.

At this time of year we want to keep it simple - think about unique codes or discount offers that you can email or physically pass on to your customers that they are then able to pass on to their friends or family. 

Each business is unique as are the systems and processes you have set up, so have a think about the ways you could make something like this work in your business. 

Number 3 - Making the most of social media

Now is probably not the time to start introducing new platforms or implementing a brand new strategy you either aren’t prepared for or don’t have time to implement. 

There are two areas we want to focus on here. 

The first, how can you turn the followers and fans you do have into customers

And the second, how can you use social media to reach new audiences

Take the time to do a quick content audit, what content has been getting the most interaction, product views, website clicks? Why do you think those posts have performed so well, and how can you create more of those to help drive more sales? 

Think about changing some of your messaging. At this time of year in particular its not just about what we buy for ourselves, almost everyone is also shopping for someone else right now too. 

Is what you sell the perfect present for the sister who has everything? Is it a brilliant idea for the new mother-in-law? Or is it the perfect outfit to wear on Christmas day that will take someone from lunch with their parents to drinks with friends?

Add more interactive content into your stories, think polls, quizzes and sliders to encourage interaction. The more people that interact the more Instagram starts pushing your content, the more people are likely to see it. And make sure you’re selling across all of Instagram's features - show your product in reels, stories and feed posts - don’t just reserve products for feed posts. 

Think about your content and who you are speaking to - change up your messaging to suit the different shopping habits of people at this time of year. 

And now, how you are reaching new audiences. Could you run a really short competition? Could you collaborate with another brand? Could you create some really great, shareable content that people are likely to share in their stories putting you in front of their audiences - think funny memes or things that are really relatable for your audience. 

Now is also a really great time to lean more into video content, including Reels to help you reach more people.

Keeping in mind content is at an all time high right now, everyone is upping their game, they all want to make the most of this last part of the year, how can you stand out and make social media work for you? 

Which is also a good lead in for point number 4….

Are there any local or online communities that can support you right now?

One thing we know for sure is that local communities love their small businesses. 

Online, they often have hashtags or offer business shout outs, some even offer local business directories where you can list your business for free or a very small fee. 

You can also look more broadly into small businesses directories and communities that support specific types of businesses, for example handmade businesses, products for kids, eco friendly products. 

These are great communities to get involved with throughout the year. 

Number 5 - In person events

So often overlooked, however, in-person events can be a really great way to get your brand or your product in front of people who otherwise might not have discovered you. 

Lockdowns have lifted and in-person events are coming back in a big way to close our 2021.

Is there anything happening in your area or close by that you could travel to, to be a part of. 

Finding the right events to attend can help you move product especially as it gets closer to Christmas and postage cut offs start to slow online orders. 

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Right now we’re thinking about the short game, however, although we’re acting quick there will be a lot you will learn from making these quick, short term decisions that will go on to help you design your long term strategy for 2022 and beyond - which we will be diving into in the next episode. 

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I really hope you found the information I shared in this episode really useful, if you found this helpful I would love for you to please take a screenshot and share it on Instagram, and please leave a review and hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss an episode. 

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If you would like to work with me I currently have 1:1 single coaching session times available, I would absolutely love to support you in making Q4 of 2021 your best yet. 

Please head to (link) to book in a time to chat.

Links and resources:

Learn more about my 12 week, 1:1 coaching program: The Holistic Marketing Method

Connect with me on Instagram: @kristypask

Book in a 1:1 single session with me here.