With November finally here, the holidays are upon us. And, for businesses everywhere, the busy holiday season is quickly approaching as well.

For many, this means carrying on business as usual and ignoring potential improvements you can make to ensure that your business reaps the benefits that this time of the year has to offer. However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

In fact, by just taking the time to better learn about common holiday marketing mistakes, you can ensure that your small business gets the boost it needs during the critical holiday season that’s approaching.

 1. Not Establishing a Social Media Sales Strategy

While most small businesses look at social media as a tool beneficial for exceptional customer service, few realize the many advantages social media can offer during the crucial holiday season.

Because holiday sales can form a significant amount of your company’s annual revenue, it’s important to plan a social media strategy in advance and perhaps even budget additional money to be spent on any of your campaigns.

This means spending more money to ensure that your discounts, news, or other holiday-specific sales are shown to as many of your potential customers as possible.

2. Ignoring the Power of Small Business

There are many small business owners that wrongly assume the holidays are always more beneficial for large corporations. But in recent years, this is no longer the case.

In fact, your local customers are much more likely to purchase from your small company instead of a large corporation when possible. This means that it’s even more important than before to engage with your local audience on social media and make an impact.

3. Not Focusing on Mobile Sales

As the years go on, consumers are increasingly relying on mobile devices to access websites just like yours. However, not all businesses, especially small businesses, take the time to ensure that they have a mobile-friendly site that will engage users.

In fact, having a mobile-friendly site can make a large difference in how successful your company is not just in the holiday season, but beyond. As a result, it’s something that you won’t want to ignore.

4. Beginning Your Discounts too Early

For small businesses, the temptation of beginning sales early is fierce. Many owners feel that if they begin their discounts early, they’ll attract more customers and help draw competition away from their corporate competitors.

However, it’s important to think about the entire duration of the holiday season and the business you’ll have throughout the entire time. If you make a lot of money up front, you’re likely to have sales die off as the holiday season progresses.

So, when it comes time to determine when to start sales, remember to always plan with the whole holiday season in mind.

5. Ignoring Customers Come January

With all of the hustle of the holiday season, it’s easy for companies, particularly small businesses, to look at January as the time to breathe. However, this shouldn’t be the case.

In fact, the best thing you can do for your business is to take advantage of your newfound momentum and continue to connect with returning and new customers that you’ve confronted during the holiday season.

This is the best way to keep your business growing and retain the customer loyalty essential for success in today’s market.

The holiday season is fast approaching, but that’s no reason to panic! Avoid these common five mistakes and take advantage of everything this busy time has to offer for success in your small business!