December is the peak of the holiday rush, as shoppers scramble to make their final holiday purchases, many small businesses are looking for quick and easy ways to boost their end-of-year sales. Although some businesses find that offering discounts increases sales, there are many alternative ways to drive revenue without cutting costs. From smarter social media use to engaging your existing customers, we’ve outlined five small tweaks that can boost your December sales and create a meaningful impact before the year ends.
Increase Your Social Media Visibility
Social media has proven to be one of the most effective and budget-friendly ways for small businesses to reach shoppers (Forbes), especially during the holiday season when customers are looking to purchase the perfect gift or holiday essential. Maintaining visibility on social media keeps your business at the forefront of customers’ minds. Content that attracts and excites shoppers is more likely to be interacted with, effectively promoting your business and boosting sales.
From posting quick gift ideas to videos of staff favorites to a last-minute gift guide, the more consistently you show up, the more likely shoppers are to think of you when they’re ready to buy. Tapping into current trends is a great way to appear in the feeds of people who do not follow you. Participating in trends not only boosts visibility and engagement but also helps showcase your brand’s personality, attracting new followers and better engaging existing ones (Social Media Enthusiast).
If you don’t have time to create daily content, leverage content from the people who matter most: your customers. Posting customers’ photos, reviews, and testimonials shows your brand’s authenticity and boosts brand loyalty (AMA). Encourage your customers to create content using a hashtag or by tagging your business, then strategically share this content on social media to spark excitement and increase your brand’s visibility.
Tailor Your Messaging to December Shoppers
Many consumers are tired of the same cookie-cutter holiday messages, so standing out with something more thoughtful and relevant can make a big difference. Shopper-focused messaging cuts through that noise and helps customers feel understood rather than just marketed to. When tailoring your messaging, using deliberate phrases, simple language, and strong calls to action instantly makes your business more noticeable to customers.
Using countdown messaging like “Order by Dec. 20 for delivery by Dec. 25” communicates clear shipping information to customers and creates urgency without relying on discounts. Labels such as “Ships Today,” “Still In Stock,” and ‘Selling Quickly” also generate urgency while building excitement around the product. Having clear messaging about what your business sells, where it’s located, and your hours across all touchpoints helps guide customers to make a purchase without confusion.
Make Your Marketing More Personalized
Your customers are not all the same, so your marketing shouldn’t be either. Small businesses have the unique ability to be flexible when marketing during the holidays (Higher Logic). Taking the extra step to customize your interactions with customers is proven to increase sales and foster customer loyalty.
The easiest way to personalize your marketing is to segment your email list based on customer behavior. Whether the customer is a first-time buyer, a repeat buyer, or a frequent buyer, you can customize your emails to match their shopping habits and preferences. Sending tailored recommendations like gift suggestions, new product alerts, or reminders about items that are running low in stock is an effective way to personalize your email marketing. These intentional emails show customers that you are paying attention to their interactions with your business.
Hyper-personalized messages like “Because you bought X last time, you might love Y for a friend or family member,” or suggestions based on customer demographics like “Gifts for Coworkers” or “Gifts for Kids” are unique touches that show your business cares about customer experience, while encouraging recipients to make a purchase.
Leverage Your Existing Customers
It’s often much easier and more cost-effective to leverage existing customers than to acquire new ones, especially during a busy holiday season (Forbes). Customers who visit your store regularly are often the best form of advertising, as their reviews carry more credibility than any ad you could run.
Harness the power of happy customers by asking repeat customers to refer a friend in exchange for a value-add (not a discount), such as a free gift wrapping or a small bonus gift. Make the referral process as seamless as possible with a simple “forward this email to a friend” template or by adding a referral button to your digital platforms.
Encourage your customers to keep coming back by offering incentives like punch cards or small in-store treats, such as a cup of hot chocolate while they shop. Showing your existing customers that you appreciate their business through simple interactions and tactics increases the likelihood that they become repeat customers and recommend your business to friends and family, which can lead to increased sales with little to no cost to you.
Add Value Instead of Cutting Prices
Consumers often care more about convenience and experience than price (EY). Providing your customers with a deal doesn’t mean you have to charge them less; instead, add value to a product or service by offering a small bonus. These value-added offers encourage your customers to buy without breaking your budget.
Adding perceived value to a purchase is an easy and convenient way to excite customers. Offering a small, low-cost gift to shoppers who reach a certain spending threshold incentivizes larger orders while costing your business very little. If you’d prefer not to provide a physical gift, consider low-cost services like gift wrapping, curbside pickup, or free shipping once customers hit a minimum spend. Clearly highlighting these value-adds online and in-store motivates shoppers to increase their purchases before checking out and reinforces that they’re getting something extra without you having to discount your products.
Key Takeaways
Boosting your sales during the holiday season can be achieved through meaningful adjustments to your marketing, messaging, and customer experience. These small changes will do much more than just boost revenue; they will attract and retain customers, leading to higher sales throughout the year. Using the holiday season as a chance to gather data and strengthen customer relationships will help you better understand shopping behaviors beyond the holidays.
We have also been tracking consumer trends this holiday season and in April 2026. InUnison will release its annual State of Local, a report filled with detailed insights into how local businesses are faring in the Richmond region.
