It’s the holiday season! You know what that means. Eating way too much sugar. Ahem. I mean, giving gifts! But, how do you communicate to the world that your offering is the perfect surprise under the (figurative or literal) tree?
Here are a few ideas to maximize your business and let the geek world know you’re out there!
Optimize Your Listings
If you sell things through a marketplace like Etsy, eBay, DriveThruRPG, or even your own website, optimize your listings for the holidays. Sometimes when people don’t know specifically what they’re looking for, they’ll search things like “Stocking stuffers for gamers” or “Gifts for geeks.” So make sure you show up!
A few ideas:
- Optimize for niche. “Gifts for sci-fi lovers,” or “Books for anime fans.” Gifters may know what their friend or loved one is interested in, but just need a little nudge toward the perfect gift.
- Optimize for demographic. I’m not going to lie, I started my gift search this year by searching Amazon for “gifts for mom,” because I had no idea what to get my own mom. Add some target demographics like relationship (parent, partner), age (teen, kids), etc. to your listing titles to help the gifting-impaired find something perfect when they don’t know where to start.
- Optimize for gift type. Is your item perfect for a stocking stuffer? An instant delivery digital gift? Let shoppers know! These keywords will make sure that you’re visible when people go looking for last minute buys.
Create a Gift Package
There’s nothing greater than sharing the things you love with the people you love. This holiday, you can help make that easier for your customers by putting together a special gift pack for them to put under the tree. Whether you’re a crafter, streamer, writer, DM, or anything in between, there are great ways to create a memorable experience for a lucky giftee.
A few ideas:
- Crafters: Combine complementary items, like a set of dice and a dice tray, or a pair of socks and a hat. If you specialize in one kind of item, combine a few of your best sellers.
- Writers and Content Creators: Create a themed collection like “Beginner’s Adventures” or “Best One Shots” for TTRPG. If you’re a tutorial creator, “Essential Cosplay Tutorials.” Creative writer? “Sci-Fi Adventures to Read by the Fire.”
- Streamers, DMs, and Other Services: You can package sessions of your service, either for existing customers or new ones delving into something new over the holiday. Got merch? Combine a few items for an ultimate fan pack.
Run a Holiday Sale
This sounds obvious, but there are some creative ways to stand out from the crowd and draw in new customers with your special sale.
A few ideas:
- 12 Days of Sales. Instead of running a general sale all season, make an event of it! Feature something new on sale each day to keep people coming back to see what’s new. You can make it a surprise, or pre-announce the schedule so people know when to hit ‘buy!’ Don’t forget to promote it to your social media and e-mail list if you have one.
- Buy one, get one for a friend. I know holiday shopping isn’t usually about the buyer, but folks who have wanted to buy from you but haven’t yet may get a kick out of a BOGO where they get a little something for themselves too. (Dice hoarders rejoice!) Make sure to adjust it so that it’s profitable. It could be Buy One, Get One 20% Off or similar. Don’t go giving things away at a loss.
- Free (Rush) Shipping. Maybe you don’t have the bandwidth or margins to run a big sale, but shipping adds up for a lot of people over the holidays. Picking up that bill can make all the difference for making the sale, especially if you can guarantee delivery before Christmas!
Reconnect with Former Customers
People who bought something for themselves throughout the year are great candidates for the gift-giving season! If you have an e-mail list, Discord server, or social media fans, encourage them to share the love with their friends!
A few ideas:
- Offer a discount to previous customers. As a thank you for their business and support earlier in the year, a small discount could encourage your customers to buy again for gifts.
- Send a “Thank You.” If you collect emails when people make a transaction, take this time to send an end-of-year thank you. Whether it results in repeat business or not, it’s a nice gesture and puts your top of mind as people are making their gifting decisions.
Collaborate with Other Creators
They don’t have hashtags like #ttrpgsolidarty and #streamersconnected for nothing. No matter your niche, there’s a community around you. Work with other creators to promote each other and lift each other up this season.
A few ideas:
- Host a joint giveaway. Giveaways are great ways to raise awareness and stimulate business. As people enter your giveaway they’re more likely to view your goods and services and possibly become customers, even if they don’t win!
- Trade features on your channel or social media. This could be as simple as sharing shoutouts on Twitter or Instagram, or as ambitious as hosting someone for an interview, doing a product review, and more. You’ll both benefit from visibility with a new following.
- Gift-a-thon! It’s the season of giving. Get the word out by sending some goodies to others in your community. Or, for something more mutual, host a Secret Santa with a small group of fellow creators. While this won’t guarantee sales, or even a feature, it will build positive connections and goodwill which can lead to great things in the future!
Happy and Prosperous Holidays, geekpreneurs! I hope these ideas to make more holiday sales help put a dent in your own gift budget and take your business to new heights in the new year.
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