January is a tough time of year to get things going. It’s never easy to say goodbye to the easygoing days of late December, when the holidays and some well-deserved rest and relaxation are the only things on our minds, and get back to the grind as the New Year rolls in, resolutions are freshly formulated and it’s back to business as usual.
However, getting back in the working mindset after the holidays can be like waking up to a cold, dark day after a wonderfully warm sleep, and it can take some time before we’re ready to think clearly about the goals and objectives that seemed so simple when we were planning them a month ago.

The Intuit Small Business Blog has published an article to help small business owners get things off the ground with a little more ease in the New Year. It’s called Tips for Boosting Holiday Sales and offers some insights into how sales can be increased at a time when both companies and customers are exhausted by the idea of selling and shopping.
Here’s a look at a snippet from the article:
Target Specific Demographics
Beyond focusing on self-improvement products and services, try catering to specific types of customers. One mistake small businesses make is adopting a one-size-fits-all marketing strategy, Burke says. Instead, she advises, “Invest the time to understand what your customers really want and need from your business, then create content that delivers upon that vision, from your website to your emails to your social media.”
Use your company website or blog and sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to engage customers and prospective clients by providing helpful content and making a personal connection. Over time, this can generate more sales.
“Think of social media as an extension of how you interact with your customers in your store. Identify the channels that matter most to your customer base and block out time in your calendar each day to share content from influencers in your space, promote your blog, answer customer questions, and thank customers for their business,” Burke says.
It takes a good deal more time and effort, but creating a marketing strategy for your different demographics by understanding their wants and needs is worth it in the long run, as it will help you market your message more effectively for each audience. As the article says, this approach can lead to making a personal connection with your customers – a excellent method of building a loyal base and increasing sales over time.
The article also offers some tips on dealing with “post-holiday glut”, focusing on selling in line with consumer goals, and using visuals in your marketing materials.
If you’re still in a post-holiday slump and are looking for some strategies on how to get sales going again, we’d recommend reading this article for some ideas on how to start 2014 with a bang.
What do you think? Did you find this article useful? Do you have any ideas to increase post-holiday sales? Your thoughts are always welcome, so let us know!