One of the best things about marketing is that you can gain ideas from a variety of areas and the festive season is one of them.

After a hectic year for many of you this is the last week before taking a well deserved break.

Here are 5 simple marketing lessons from the festive season you can apply to your business in 2010.

Getting in touch

At this time of the year, we send gifts, cards, emails etc to family and friends. For a number of them this is our only contact throughout the year. This also occurs with our customers, often as a way of saying thank you for being a customer.

Getting and keeping in touch with our customers is one of the most important keys to success. So, why not find out what suits them and schedule getting in touch throughout the year and not just on special occasions.

Meeting the deadline

No matter what happens the date of Christmas does not change. It is always the 25^th December and whether we like it or not we have to have everything ready for the day.

It can be tempting, especially when you are busy to push out the deadlines for a marketing program, activity or campaign. This however, means an opportunity for your small business could be missed. By having deadlines and sticking to them you may be pleasantly surprised by how much you can achieve.

Helping others

At this time of the year many volunteer their time to help others. This includes packing and distributing hampers or feeding those alone or homeless on Christmas day.

Helping your customers of course is a priority. Helping others whether they are associates, employees, business partners, acquaintances etc and expecting nothing in return can lead to unexpected results, relationships and a feeling of well being.

Spoiling the party

This year in Australia we have had strikes leading up to Christmas. From the buses stranding thousands of passengers to this week’s postal strike which will mean many will not receive gifts or cards. .Somehow people work around the problems, often using very creative ways.

Unexpected events occur when marketing your products or services. Some you may not have accounted for and other are totally unexpected and out of your control. Being able to think quickly and laterally in these situations and take action can mean the difference between success and failure.

Planning ahead

Each year I am in awe of friends and family who have everything organised early. They do not rush around at the last minute and actually start enjoying the season in a far more relaxed way.

This also applies to your business. A simple marketing plan that is well thought out and actioned throughout the year makes sense. Apart from the usual business reasons, it just makes successfully marketing your products and services that much easier.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for subscribing and supporting this blog. The numerous emails and feedback I have received over the year have been terrific and I appreciate the ideas you have given me.

Best wishes to you and your family during this festive season and I hope 2010 is a very prosperous one for you.

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