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What if we could keep the spirit of the holiday season alive all year round? It’s the premise of every cheesy Christmas movie, but it’s also a valid question for retailers. Who wouldn’t want to tap into the revenue boost and consumer excitement of Black Friday and Cyber Monday any time of year?
Well, it’s possible, with the right attitude and a little creativity, you can have seasonal special offers for any occasion.
Let’s take a look at how it’s done.
Identify seasonal opportunities
Here’s the thing: not every holiday will suit your business. I mean, can you imagine offering a Valentine’s Day ghost tour? Actually… that might work if you market it as a “spooky date night.”
But the point is to choose holidays that resonate with your audience. Here are some solid ideas:
- Valentine’s Day: Romantic getaways, couple’s experiences, or private tours.
- Easter weekend: Family-friendly activities, outdoor adventures, or spring themed events.
- Mother’s and Father’s Day: Meaningful gift experiences like wine tastings, cultural tours, or outdoor excursions.
- Halloween: Ghost tours, spooky walks, or themed experiences.
- Christmas and New Year: Festive tours, gift cards, or celebratory packages.
When planning, think about who your customers are and what they’ll be looking for at these times. Tours and attractions are in the unique position of being able to offer experiential and memory-making alternatives to “shop-until-you-drop” events.
By tacking your sale onto an existing holiday or shopping event, you can benefit from the general buzz around the occasion while offering something that sets your business apart at the same time. In this way, consumer fatigue actually works to your advantage.
Use the Black Friday playbook
You know those strategies that worked so well for Black Friday? Dust them off and give them a seasonal makeover. Let’s recap:
- Start early: Plan campaigns well in advance. Start teasing your offers a month ahead of the date to build excitement.
- Design compelling offers: Think discounts, bundle deals, or exclusive add-ons. Tailor these to the event. For example, couples’ discounts for Valentine’s or family bundles for Easter.
- Leverage urgency: Use countdown timers, “limited availability” messaging, and anything else that screams, “don’t miss out!”
- Optimise your website: Make it mobile-friendly and ensure the booking process is smoother than a baby dolphin.
Build a seasonal marketing calendar
Here’s where it gets practical—because I know how satisfying it is to tick things off a plan. The nice thing about linking sales events to a holiday is that the timing is predictable. So, find out which events you want to celebrate and work backwards to build out a marketing sequence ahead of the event. Don’t forget a follow-up sequence for the week after.
Here’s a sample timeline:
- 1 month before: Identify which tours or activities to promote. Start teasing offers on social media.
- 3 weeks before: Send teaser emails to your subscribers and launch organic posts.
- 2 weeks before: Ramp up with paid ads and use countdowns to build urgency.
- 1 week before: Focus on last-minute buyers with retargeting ads and email blasts.
- After the event: Send thank-you emails with incentives for future bookings, like “10% off your next tour.” (Who doesn’t love a reason to come back?)
Make partnerships part of your strategy
Seasonal events are the perfect occasion to buddy up with local businesses. Not only do partnerships add value to your offers, but they also introduce you to new audiences. Here are a few you might try:
- Partner with hotels to offer discounted stay-and-tour packages.
- Collaborate with restaurants to include meal vouchers in your packages.
- Work with other tour operators to create themed bundles—like combining a food tour with a cooking class.
Evaluate and refine
After each seasonal campaign, take a step back and review. What worked? What didn’t? Did your audience respond to that “spooky date night” ghost tour idea, or was it a bit too niche? Use what you’ve learned to tweak and improve your next campaign.
Bonus: Make up your own holiday, or celebrate random ones
So far, we’ve covered the big holidays like Valentine’s Day and Halloween. But a holiday doesn’t have to be major (or even real) to be an occasion for special offers.
Your walking tour could have a special deal for International Walking Day.
On October 5th, why not offer a discount for teachers on International Teachers’ Day?
Commemorate local history on historic dates, or just make up your own reason to have a sale.
You don’t need to plan as far ahead with these smaller holidays, and they’re a great time to have a flash sale. The important thing is that you connect your discounts to an occasion, no matter how niche or seemingly random. This helps you avoid the potential branding downsides of discounting too many options and coming across as desperate or cheap.
Final thoughts – don’t overthink it
Seasonal sales don’t have to be complicated—they just need a little planning, a dash of creativity, and a good dose of fun.
By applying the Black Friday strategies of planning, urgency, and irresistible offers, you can make any holiday a sales success.
Dust off your calendar and start planning. There’s a whole year of opportunities ahead. So, why not make every season your best season yet?
Read more on maximising sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday in this article