A few of my favorite things to do during the holidays outside of going to see the lights displayed on homes and going to the ballet, are shopping trunk shows, farmer’s markets, and local businesses. If you own an online store, this is the perfect time to actually get in front of your customer base. Interact with them so they can put a face to the company.
Partnership
If this is your first year in business, I would actually suggest partnering with another business owner or two, to host your own holiday trunk show. This will help you maintain a budget, cross promote, and gain new audience members. Find three business owners who have a similar target audience as your business. If you don’t know who that person is, first learn your target audience profile. Reach out to those two or three people who share your idea of doing a small holiday trunk show together.
Budgeting
Knowing what you want to spend on your trunk show is very important. Ace of Spade taste on box wine budget isn’t going to work well making sure you have a great holiday trunk show. Your budget needs to consistent of location cost, products, promotions, snacks, packaging marketing and gift bags. If you are hosting your holiday trunk show at someones how that cuts location cost for you. Think ahead of exactly what you want to convey with your trunk show. I love being in public spaces and private homes for holiday trunk shows. It’s all about the experience the hostess creates for her guest.
Physical Space
I love being in public spaces and private homes for holiday trunk shows. It’s all about the experience the hostess creates for her guest. One thing I will note you want it in a somewhat spacious space where people can move around and mingle. I have gone to several trunk shows there were full of vendors but no room for the guest to truly enjoy themselves and shop. If you are renting out a place and someone sales clothing make sure you make mock dressing rooms. Give that boutique feeling as much as possible.
Getting The Word Out
Don’t wait until an hour before the event to tell your audience about your holiday trunk shows. If you are doing one or two make sure you give people time to plan their visit. Say for example you know from the start of November until the week before December you will be hosting trunk shows and/or attending farmers market create a special newsletter. Send out all the dates with information, time and location. Then the week of you can send out another newsletter.
Graphic design
Make sure your graphics for your holiday trunk show align with your business. Throughout the year I see people posting flyers for the trunk shows they are doing and they are just bad clipart graphics blastered on a flyer. Be cohesive with your brand image when sharing these images. If you are a doing a group holiday market and you don’t like the graphic they sent you, create your own. You are still advertising it. Make sure all graphics are the correct size for each platform. Don’t reduce a graphic to blurriness to post it on social media no one can read it.
If you are really trying to make a name for yourself this holiday season is the perfect time to do this. Especially if you are an online store get out their hosting holiday trunk shows and let people know who you and your business is.
