Santa Claus is coming to town, and small business owners everywhere should make sure they are out to greet him when he arrives. No, I'm not suggesting you wait by the chimney with a plate of milk and cookies. Long before the arrival of December 25th ,Santa and his reindeer drive right down Main Street in your town or city. You should meet him -- and thousands of potential customers – at the Santa Claus Parade.
With TV or major newspaper advertising out of reach for most small businesses, a good alternative to help you build awareness for your business is to be active in your community. You probably already participate in local business organizations, charitable causes, or other community events that help to build awareness of your business and serve to improve your reputation. Ironically, most businesses owners seem to ignore one of the most important community events of the year, the local Santa Claus parade.
Aside from sponsoring a float or chipping in to help fund the parade, there are plenty of low budget, high impact ways that you can connect with potential customers while Santa is guiding his sleigh through town. You could give away candy canes with your business name or card attached, provide free hot chocolate to kids and complementary coffee to their parents, or give away a small toy to children along the parade route. The cost of this type of hands on marketing is minimal. All of the items mentioned above are inexpensive when purchased in bulk from a local warehouse or distributor.
What makes the Santa Claus parade different than all of the other events you attend every year in an effort to promote your business?
- People, People Everywhere! – Santa always generates a good turnout. The entire community comes out of their homes and onto the street to watch St. Nick come rolling through town. It is likely one of the best-attended events of the year in your town or city.
- Holiday Cheer – Not only is the crowd large, but everyone is usually in a good frame of mind. Families are together and friends are sharing a laugh or a hot cup of coffee to keep warm. The entire crowd is all smiles, which means they are in the right mood for a nice gesture from a local businessperson.
- Good Things Come in Small Packages – Your cost to provide a small gift to people at the parade is small. The potential payoff for building goodwill for your business at such an important annual event is huge. It doesn't take much to get people to remember your business when you're giving away a welcome treat, especially in light of the large crowd and positive spirit along the parade route.
Whether your business is plumbing, catering, accounting, legal services, retail, or anything in between, you can promote your business and get involved with the community by being a modern day Kris Kringle at this year's Santa Claus Parade. So watch for the jolly old man in the big red suit. He's coming to town soon, and he might just be bringing a business opportunity for you in his sleigh!
About the Author
Will Dylan is the author of Small Business Big Marketing and owner of http://www.marketingyoursmallbusiness.com . Will also offers article and news release writing services through his website.