Prepare your Business Visually for the Holiday Season
As we draw nearer and closer to the Holiday/Christmas season, it is an incredible time to plan your visual branding for your business graphic designs, social media and blog. Because you do not have an actual brick and mortar presence, doesn't mean you can't dress your business for the season. I have come up with a short list of ideas you may want to think about to liven things up for the holidays. Create a fun and festive mood around your business or blog, that inspires your own personality and style. Add an air of 'let's celebrate together'.
Holiday Season Brand Photography
Think about how you can add a seasonal touch to your branding and promotions photography for your holiday season. If you have physical products, think about product shots with a seasonal, holiday feel. If you use photos in your social media and promotional material, get some holiday-themed images that fit your brand style.
Add Holiday Elements To Your Website
Websites don't have to look the same all year round. Just like retail stores dress their windows and create beautiful window displays, you can dress up your homepage, which in many ways is your shop window, for the holidays. Make your slideshows or banners, have a Christmas theme to them. This could be with string lights, holiday colors, holly or pine leaves, glitter, and stars. You don’t have to overdo it by making it cheesy, just adding some holiday feel to it that goes with your branding style. Keeping it in line with the feel of your brand is important.
Add Christmas Themed Social Media Templates
Things can get pretty crazy very quickly this time of year. Don't wait to come up a promo graphic for social media the night before a sale. You also don’t want to decide last minute to whip up a 12 days of Christmas promotion then create all the pieces the day before each one goes out. Take time to make some holiday season themed templates. Make them in the correct sizes for social media, so all you have to do is drop your text in with your holiday photos. Create a theme that fits your current banding with a seasonal variation. Make it so people still recognize the graphic as coming from you, but with a fun festive feel.
Special Coupons, Thank you’ s, Flyers and Postcards
It is a great time of year to design fun seasonal promotional collateral with holiday themed photos of you or your products on them, so you are remembered and stand apart from all the others. Are you part of any special events or have opportunities to hand things out to promote your business over the holiday season? You can create fun coupons for anyone who buys from you to encourage more future sales. You can make seasonal thank you notes to include in every order to add that special touch. Promote any events, sales, or special offers you have coming up with Christmas inspired flyers or postcards. Even if everything you do is online, you could still create fun digital graphics or digital coupons, to highlight offers that are just for this time of year and to encourage sales.
Christmas Cards.
For your loyal customers or best clients, you may want a special Christmas card to thank them for working with you this year. If you prefer to keep things digital, you could even have a digital Holiday Card. People tend to keep cards with photos on them, thus keeping you in mind throughout the year.
Hopefully, this has given you some great ideas for adding a festive seasonal spirit to your visual branding. If you have any other fun ideas or clever things you have seen other people do, feel free to share it in the comments.