The Holiday Season is nearly nipping at your nose. Pumpkin spice latte’s have been spilled in many an Uber, and stores are stocking up on fall scented candles and multi-colored leaf decorations. It’s time to make sure your brand is prepared for the biggest sales season of the year.

Getting your brand ready for the holidays might seem overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be. You might personally get to enjoy the holidays if your marketing plan is sorted out by mid-October. Here are a few tips that can help you prepare your brand for the holiday season:

1. Get A Big Picture Plan Organized Now –
Everyone gets busy during the holiday season. Employees, marketing teams, and even customers will be busy with holiday trips and thoughts like “If I have to go to one more friggin holiday party this season I’m going to collapse!” So… Making a “3-month agenda” before this brain-drain all kicks in is critical to cover you through mid-January, until people get their feet back under them. A big picture “3-month plan” will ensure your marketing plan is rolling along smoothly.

2. Make a Detailed List Also –
Make a list of marketing initiatives and detail out who will be responsible for what marketing actions over the next 90-days. This list will tie in with your “big picture” marketing agenda. It ideally takes the guess work out of every situation and ensures your crew won’t have to scramble during the holiday rush.

3. Stock up on Supplies –
You don’t want to run out of inventory, or marketing items like business cards, during the holiday season. It will often take other people longer to get these important supplies to you than it would usually take them to do so. Stocking up slightly on anything important will help you breeze through the holidays – and maybe score some potential clients.

4. Don’t forget about the AMAZING Deals and CONTENT! –
Almost 1/3 of annual eCommerce sales happen around November 1 through December 15 – think Black Friday and Cyber Monday! Plan well in advance what deals you will roll out to your prospective audience, so you’re able to launch a very nicely designed and well-coordinated campaign. It’s easy to leave this off to the last minute, and graphic designers and advertisers need plenty of time in the holiday season to get ahead of the project.

5. Wrap as you go –
As you finish the holidays, go back onto your page and clear out posts that are no longer relevant. (Fun fact, this is what the term “Whitewalling” your account technically means in regards to social media!) Clean up inventory and old promotions from your social media accounts as they expire. And remember the imagery as well, it’s no good to see pumpkins in December, or Christmas trees in February, so be prepared to wrap up the holidays in a timely fashion.

6. Sit back and Relax –
Well, your plan is in place. The holidays are supposed to be a time where you spend time with your loved ones and be grateful. Enjoy the little moments with them. By preparing your brand as shown above – you can make a lot of time for you to personally enjoy the holiday season – and watch the sales come in as you sip hot chocolate – or some well deserved bubbly.

If you have any questions please reach out to us, we’re always happy to help.

Cheers to you and your brand – and Happy Holidays from the entire crew at Whitewall Media!