Marketing tips to make the festive period a hit

I'm Siobhan, the Head of Marketing at 200 Degrees. I've worked in marketing for over 10 years and wanted to share some tips when it comes to marketing this festive season.

Keep it simple when it comes to seasonal specials.

When it comes to book at this time of year, you might think of classics like A Christmas Carol but I want to introduce you to a marketing classic to read this festive season: How Brands Grow by Byron Sharp. Within its many pages of wisdom one of the things that struck me was this truth: 'the majority of your customers only buy your product once a year'... mind blown. I honestly didn't believe it when I first read it; I was so sceptical that I researched our own customer base and low and behold, it checked out. Every single one of our shops follows this pattern, with over 50% of our customers only visiting us once a year.

Why does this matter?

This stat tells us that over the festive season more than half of the people who walk through the door have either never visited your business before or haven't been in a while. Christmas can be the busiest time of the year for many hospitality venues, and when it gets busy it's even more challenging to deliver speedy service and high quality hospitality. Something I've learned is to take a balanced approach with introducing specials. There needs to be enough excitement around seasonal specials to drive footfall whilst ensuring the menu is simple enough that it can be delivered consistently for every visit. Ever-changing seasonal specials puts pressure on operational teams, so I've found that it's best to select a few products that our team can become experts in instead. As a result we introduce 5 or 6 specials that remain on our menu from October right through to December.

Need some inspiration? Click here to view our seasonal recipe recommendations

Shape up your social profiles.

Whenever I tell people I work in marketing their first question is always about how to make a success of social media, so the chances are that's probably top of your mind too. Social media algorithms are changing every day, so what worked 5 years ago probably isn't going to work for you now. The number one way people find out about 200 Degrees is through social media. This isn't just a trend specific to 200 Degrees either; according to a study by Barclays, 41% of people view an active social media presence as a way to judge whether a restaurant is worth visiting. There has been a move to social media profiles being viewed either prior or as an alternative to a website.

Why does this matter?

Make sure this festive period your social media is a good representation of the experience a customer can expect when they visit. There should be close ups of the environment, the food and the drinks (don't forget the coffee!). If you've nailed this then throw in some behind the scenes content from your team. Nail the basics first.

Dip your toe in digital advertising.

Paying to advertise on Instagram or to get yourself noticed on Google can feel like a daunting prospect. But if there's any time to give it a go, it's the festive season. There are more people out there looking to increase their spending compared to other times of year. Last year we saw a 22% increase in our return on ad spend between October to January. This means that for the same amount of ad spend we generated 22% more revenue from our e-commerce site.

Why does this matter?

You can get the best bang for your buck at Christmas. It's a prime opportunity to reach out to a new audience that are not currently interacting with your profie . If you're unsure on how to start, selecting a social media post that gives a good overview as to why they should visit you and "boosting" it can be an easy way to give it a try.