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The countdown to Diwali has begun, and the market is abuzz with excitement. The competition is fiercer than ever with brands racing to grab consumers’ eyeballs! 

The pre-Diwali time and the ensuing holiday season bring new customer trends and expectations, resulting in a 50-60% surge in orders compared to the rest of the month. This prompts business leaders to prepare a quirky concoction of tried-and-tested strategies with innovation to connect with existing and potential customers in their current and future markets. From Flipkart’s Big Billion Sale to Amazon’s The Great Indian Festival, Diwali is not just the festival of lights and gold; it’s also the season of shopping.

For Diwali 2023, experts anticipate the highest spending tendency since the pandemic hit, making it the most significant marketing and sales opportunity of the year. So, as a small business owner, how can you stand out from the crowd and entice customers to make a purchase? Worry not; we’ve curated 5 strategies that will boost your sales during Diwali. Read along.

Craft compelling festive content on your website

The first and foremost strategy to grab the consumers’ eyeballs is by giving your website the look and feel that perfectly aligns with Diwali.

From blog posts, ads, and social media contests, focus on creating a variety of festive content. Ensure all of them are well-synchronised to enhance visibility. For instance, if you start a digital campaign for festive offers, pair it with a social media campaign to amplify its reach. Consider your website as your online home and enhance its appeal for Diwali in the following ways–

• Design a special Diwali-themed logo with elements like crackers or Diyas (lamps) to infuse a festive touch into your branding.
• Add a festive banner to the homepage of your online store, featuring Diwali wishes and special offers for visitors.
• Use popup forms to send warm Diwali wishes to customers when they visit your website, creating a friendly and personalised greeting.
• Keep the content succinct, and use high-quality images, testimonials, and directional cues to guide users to the call-to-action button.

Apart from the ‘internal’ content of the website, throw more light on the ‘external’ that is, the landing page. 

• Add an extra page to showcase the  exclusive Diwali offers and deals
• Use your social media channels to direct users to this page.

You can also optimise your landing page with the help of search engines:

• Incorporate targeted keywords such as “Best Diwali Deals and Diwali Offers”
• You can identify these keywords and their average monthly search volume using tools like the Free Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to stay ahead of your competitors.

Additional tip: Go beyond promoting discounts by keeping your customers engaged with gift ideas for Diwali, sourced from your product range. This can boost product views and drive sales during Diwali.

Take an innovative approach to the ‘Buy One, Get One’ offer

With the festive sentiment being strong in India, most people are averse to being bombarded with advertisements. So, it’s essential to stand out from the cliché marketing and advertising tactics by innovating the ‘Buy One, Get One’ offer.

Consider the following strategies to resonate with your audience:

• Go for short-term offers, like one-day promotions for brands, but avoid overwhelming mega sales.
• Opt for small discounts or clearance sales on gifts, limited to a weekend. This approach not only attracts buyers but also helps manage orders effectively.
• Before sending promotional emails, take a call on the abandoned carts. You can do so by creatively merging products to cater to the festive spirit.
• Introduce new customers-only exclusive deals to gain new customers.
• Utilise the strategy of ‘Buy Two, Get One Free’ to stock out less popular items with more attractive products.

However, ensuring the right balance between discount pricing and profitability is essential. Typically, discounts that range from 10% to 20% of the product price work well for most businesses.

Encourage shoppers to not only make a purchase but also explore your brand by offering alluring rewards. This approach not only motivates shoppers to make purchases but also piques their interest, encouraging them to delve deeper into discovering what your brand has to offer. 

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Enhance customer accessibility through AI chatbots

Whether you run a physical store, an e-commerce platform, or a combination of both, reaching a wider customer base depends on effective messaging. India’s SMS traffic has surged to approximately one billion messages daily.

Conversational messaging offers a multitude of advantages:

• Personalises interactions with customers, muck like the familiarity of chatting with friends and family 
• Establishes a direct and more intimate relationship between your brand and the customer
• Results in stronger customer loyalty and an increased likelihood of higher spending

Hence, the latest and most effective marketing strategy for Diwali revolves around ensuring accessibility for your customers through AI chatbots, applicable at every stage of the purchase journey, from initial engagement to post-purchase support. 

AI chatbots offer 24/7 customer support, guaranteeing timely assistance. Moreover, they enable personalised messaging, allowing you to recommend products and address customer concerns, if any, after the sale. By swiftly addressing queries and providing immediate assistance, AI chatbots elevate the overall shopping experience both pre-purchase and post-purchase. 

Collaborate with social media influencers

What’s social media without its influencers?

The social media influencers of today hold the undivided attention of a vast following, maintaining a strong online presence across various platforms. Their dedicated followers regard them as industry experts and reliable sources of information. Utilising influencer marketing provides an excellent opportunity to leverage the trust these influencers have built with their target audience. 

You can effectively incorporate social media influencers into your Diwali promotional strategy, tailoring your selection based on the products you offer and your allocated budget for collaborations. This approach allows you to extend the reach of your exclusive Diwali offers to a broader audience.

Leverage the power of cross-promotion

Cross-promoting your deals on social media emerges as one of the most potent festive season marketing strategies. But what is cross-promotion? 

It’s a promotional technique that involves sharing your content across various social media platforms. The beauty of this approach lies in its efficiency; you don’t need to generate entirely different content for each social media platform. This not only saves time but also proves to be cost-effective. For instance, you can create a brief video showcasing your products and effortlessly distribute it across diverse platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. 

Similarly, you can craft Diwali-themed promotional content and share it across various social media channels. For instance, if Instagram is your primary traffic source, use the platform to highlight your WhatsApp channel or enable Instagram Direct shopping. Furthermore, within the Meta family of apps, you can craft click-to-chat ads that guide customers from a Facebook ad to your Facebook Messenger chat or directly into your WhatsApp channel. 

With Diwali at our doorstep, ignite your entrepreneurial spirit and make the most of the festive season. Wishing our readers, a very Happy Diwali!