Why Your Small Business Needs A Holiday Gift Guide
From Oprah's Favorite Things list to the annual Target Toy Book, hundreds of gift guides are published every holiday season. If you've ever searched "gift ideas for dad" or "best gifts under $50," you've likely found a gift guide full of suggestions.
Gift guides from major publications and influencers are likely all over your social media feed right now as we move quickly towards Black Friday and peak shopping days — and for good reason. According to Google, 55% of U.S. consumers reported they were looking for gift ideas or inspiration this season, and 45% said they would like to receive communication from retailers and brands about end-of-year holiday promotions, deals, and/or gift ideas.
How Can A Gift Guide Benefit Your Small Business?
With so many shoppers in search of inspiration for the holidays, why not offer a gift guide of your own? Gift guides are a fantastic way to show off your key products, reach niche audiences, and grow your business locally.
1. It Creates A Mini Catalog
Gift guides are a great way to feature hand-picked products from your selection. You can highlight a flagship product you're known for or round up your best-sellers. Take the time to explain what really makes these products stand out, and why they’re must-haves for holiday shopping.
By including these products in your gift guide, you’re creating more content about them for search engines to index, earning you better search engine rankings for the products you want to be known for. At the same time, you’ll also be providing more information to help shoppers decide to buy your product.
2. It Helps You Reach Your Target Audience
According to a survey by UPS, 61% of US shoppers said they prefer local and small businesses because of their unique products. A gift guide can help you reach the people who are searching for the unique products you offer.
Use your gift guide to establish yourself as a product specialist or master craftsperson. Showcase the value of buying from a carefully curated product selection or directly from the maker, as opposed to a big box retailer. You’ll earn more search engine results from related keywords in the gift guide content, and you’ll also be able to reach shoppers who value shopping small.
3. It Builds Your Local Clientele
Finally, a gift guide is especially effective for showcasing locally-made products. You’ll develop your local search engine optimization results for shoppers looking for gifts they can buy in-store. In fact, according to a Capital One survey, 37% of all consumers prefer to research online and purchase locally. Including your location in the gift guide also helps with brand awareness and discovery. Searchers may come across your gift guide and decide to visit sometime in the future. The same Capital One survey revealed that 50% of online searches for local retail end with a visit to a brick-and-mortar location within 24 hours.
You’ll also attract people looking for gifts that represent your local area. Perhaps they’re looking for a gift for a loved one who has left home, or they want to share a piece of their community with someone far away. If you craft locally-inspired gifts or make products with local ingredients, a dedicated gift guide is a must.
How Wild Ivy Can Help Your Small Business
The holidays are quickly approaching, and the time to get in front of shoppers is now. According to a Deloitte survey, 66% of holiday shoppers plan to shop during Thanksgiving week, and they’ll be spending nearly a third of their season’s budget at that time. Carve out some of that budget for your business with a holiday gift guide — with help from Wild Ivy Media.
Right now, we are offering special pricing on gift guides for small businesses! Choose from gift guide content for your website, either as a blog or a category page, a gift guide email newsletter blast, or gift guide content for the social media page of your choice.
Ready to jump-start your business this holiday season? Send us an email at hello@wildivymedia.com and we'll talk!
