How to Boost Gift Card Sales This Holiday Season
October 3, 2023
The holidays are almost here (we know, we can’t believe it either), and now is the time to solidify your seasonal marketing and selling strategies. For wellness businesses, the next few months of gift giving and showing gratitude are an opportunity to highlight your services, re-engage customers, and draw in new ones. Whether you want to go all out with holiday promotions and events, or decide to keep things more simple, don’t forget the power of the gift card. Increase your gift card revenue and use them to get new clients through your door, starting with these five tips.
1. Be the most convenient gift shop
For a lot of folks, the holidays are the busiest time of year. Coordinating travel, work parties and friend get-togethers, along with the day-to-day tasks of everyday life, means a lot of people don’t have the time to run around town shopping for presents. So, make it as easy as possible for customers to purchase your gift cards—both in person and online.
Through Mindbody, you can easily sell gift cards through the Mindbody app, your branded mobile app, and branded web tools. This gives clients a quick and simple way to purchase from you, from anywhere, at any time. Of course, you should also sell gift cards in-person, too. That way, when customers come in for a holiday fitness class, facial, or any kind of service you provide, they can grab a gift card on their way out—knocking two items off their to-do list.
2. Make gift cards meaningful
It’s no secret that gift cards aren’t always the most sentimental present. While traditional gift cards have the perk of letting the recipient decide what to buy with the set amount of money on the card, some customers may want to exchange that flexibility for something a bit more personalised. So, along with your typical cards, consider also selling gift cards for prepaid, unique experiences. For example, you might create gift cards for special holiday packages that combine two or more services that don’t usually go together (such as a pedicure and blow dry). Or, offer cards that give the recipient one set item and an add on of their choice.
3. Provide options for every price point
Shoppers usually have a value in mind for how much they want to spend on a present—and if they can’t find something for that amount at one place, they’ll look elsewhere. Make sure to highlight the range of gift card values that can be purchased at your business—for example, from $25 to $500. Similarly, show off a variety of products or services that you offer at different price ranges. That way, gift givers can feel confident that the recipient will have options to make a full-priced purchase, which can keep you from inadvertently discouraging smaller gift card purchases.
4. Reward the purchaser
Promotions that encourage gift card sales can be a win-win strategy for your business and your customers make it a no-brainer to buy gift cards from you and not your competitors by using coupons or free products as incentives. For example, you might run a limited time offer that rewards anyone who buys a $100 gift card with an additional $20 gift card. Whether the buyer keeps the bonus for themselves or gifts it to someone else, you’ll get two customers out of the transaction.
5. Help out the last-minute shoppers
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had to frantically search for a gift at the eleventh hour. (Don’t worry, we’ve been there, too.) Whether it’s for a forgotten-about holiday party or the season has simply slipped by too quickly, it’s not uncommon for shoppers to need a gift in a pinch. So, once the frenzy of Black Friday weekend has died down, let your clients know that they can easily and quickly purchase gift cards from your business online at any time. Use the tools in Mindbody Marketing Suite to create an email campaign for any gift card promos you’re running. You can also text a last-minute reminder to your clients through Messenger[ai], which gives them the option to ask questions and even make purchases from their phone.
There’s no better time than the holidays to lean into gift card sales. As you celebrate the season with your clients, be sure to include gift cards as part of your promotional marketing—from Black Friday to New Year’s Eve. Your customers will appreciate the stress-free approach to gifting, and your business will reap the rewards all winter long.
