It’s the season of the Christmas sales!

Shoppers are flocking online for gift ideas. According to Mashable, “65% of shoppers turn to social media in search of the perfect gift … and two out of three shoppers bought a gift they found through social media.”

So what are the best ways to cash in on seasonal sales with your business?

Whether you run a service-based business or sell products, here are some tips for getting into the holiday sales spirit.

1) Learn from the ghost of Christmas Past

Look at the Christmas sales metrics from last year. What products were the best sellers? Which promotions generated the greatest increase in sales? What specials were a total bombshell?

Find out what worked and what didn’t so you can capitalize on it when planning this year’s promotions.

2) Make a cover image for holiday social media

Decorate your social media business pages with a specially designed cover image. It’s the perfect place to advertise special vacation deals and promotions.

Make sure to create one for all of your social media accounts.

3) Use holiday hashtags

Twitter shoppers can use hashtags to find their next purchase. So take advantage of hashtags to get discovered.

Some popular hashtags include: #blackFriday, #DIY, #holidayssavings, #stockingstuffers, #holidays, #Christmas, #Hannukah, #Kwanzaa, #NewYears

4) Create social media graphics for promotions and offers

Everyone loves to get a good deal when they do Christmas shopping. Create festive graphics that promote special promotions that make shopping for the perfect item irresistible.

Offers can include:

• just one day,

• sales of limited quantities,

• buy one get one free,

• special discounts or vacation coupons.

Consider offering a “12 Days of Christmas” promotion with a special offer each day!

Canva makes it easy to create custom graphics for holiday social media.

5) Increase sales with free shipping

Consider offering free shipping on holiday gifts. Create highly visible buttons or banners promoting it on your website.

Or you can increase the order size by offering free shipping on orders over a larger dollar amount, such as $ 100.

Studies show that shipping costs are one of the biggest obstacles to making an online purchase, so this tactic could lead to big profits for you.

6) Offer gift ideas

Holiday shopping can be frustrating when you don’t know what to buy for the person who has everything. You will want to promote your best-selling gifts.

Make gift shopping easy by sharing gift tips like:

• 5 gifts for mom,

• 10 grandparents love gifts,

• 5 gift ideas for tech-savvy teens and more.

Then offer links to buy each of the items you mention on your blog and on social media.

Better yet, if you have a blog, write articles based on these topics and check out your products within the article with links to the purchase page.

7) Write reviews

If you’re offering one of the hottest new products of the season, consider writing and posting a review about it on your blog. In this review, you could mention your own offers that would make a great gift accompaniment.

As an example, take a review of the top three smartphone accessories for mom this Christmas and share photos of them with a red bow along with a side-by-side feature comparison. Then mention how your deals go well with these gift ideas and include links to buy.

You can also incorporate your Amazon affiliate link for those products

8) Suggest ideas for filling stockings

Help bewildered shoppers by offering small item suggestions for everyone on your shopping list!

Write a blog post with the best socks of the season. Share daily stocking ideas on social media using hashtags like: # beststockingstuffers2016 #cheapstockingstuffers #stockingstuffersforwomen

9) Reward loyal customers

Offer to give a $ 100 gift card to a randomly selected customer who is caught posting a photo or video with your product on social media. Set up a campaign to use a special hash tag like #christmascountdown.

This can help your promotional campaigns go viral as customers share on your timeline and family / friends see your post.

10) Share the Christmas spirit

Connect with the holiday spirit in the hearts of your customers. Get your customers involved by asking them what their favorite Christmas tradition is.

Get people to engage with your brand by asking them to share:

to. Your most loved family recipes for Thanksgiving or other holiday event.

B. What is your most loved Christmas song.

vs. DIY Christmas Decorating Tips.

D. Easy gift wrapping tips.