It always feels too soon to be thinking about the Holidays. Crazy even. Yet as a business owner, timing is great to start your holiday marketing and planning.

Ready for a few ideas?

1. Retarget your particular audience. This concept is used a lot in online marketing. The idea that you reach out to people who have already visited your store or in this case, online site. Think about how it applies to your retail store. How can you sepcifically call on them again to think of you for the holiday shopping season? Do you have a data base or some other means to talk to your customer?

2. Kicking off a mini campaign specifically for this season can increase visibility and boost sales. What’s new about your store? What’s special? Remind your customer shopping local is a way to benefit the entire community. Your customers are searching for holiday gift  idea as early as three months before the actual holiday. Start giving them good ideas.

3. A slow economy is not the time to abandon your advertising and marketing efforts. Be a savvy retailer and really focus on your customer. The customer needs to know that you are sensitive to the economy but you need to stay top of mind. Using as many cost effective tools to stay in touch with your customer, perhaps even more than before will keep you first and foremost in their mind.

4.People are spending less, but are making their money count. Many consumers are looking closer to home to shop and are making choices based on environmental considerations. Can a small percentage of their purchase go to a cause? A purchase they can feel good about. Additionally, your customers are looking to buy from smaller locally owned or operated shops. Step up.

5. It’s hard to compete with the ease of online buying. The internet has provided a way for people to shop within their “community” by giving brands the opportunity to deliver a more locally focused offer and reach their social networking audience. What can a retail store do that they can’t? You can offer an experience that makes the holidays more enjoyable and less hectic. Humans are real and many would prefer to interact with one than a computer. Be human and be available to your customer. Create a cozy hoilday experience so your customer tells their friends how fun it was to shop at your store.

And most of all smile. Holidays are supposed to be fun. If you are having fun, your employees and customers are as well.