Current eMessage > Creative Solutions > October 2017

Creative Solutions

Santa is on his way…are you ready?

By Ryan Thompson, Creative Services Manager

The first traces of Christmas appeared last week at retail spots in MACC’s hometown of Blair. Maybe you’re seeing ornaments already where you shop as well? While they sure seem early, these bellwethers are a great reminder to start thinking about your holiday plans if you haven’t already. To help out, I wanted to share three promotion ideas your company can use this holiday season.

These ideas have been successfully used in the past by MACC clients. Additionally, beyond helping to sell services, these holiday promotion ideas also provide an opportunity to give back to customers, which is important for many companies during the holiday season.

Year-end internet speed boost
This idea comes from Bernard Telephone Company in Bernard, Iowa. Manager Kyle Manders said during the month of December he boosts all of his customers’ internet speed to the fastest available package. The extra internet speed is a nice gift for customers and showcases the power of the company’s service offerings. In January, he returns the speeds back to normal and lets customers know that getting the faster speed is as easy as calling the business office. Kyle said this activity never fails to prompt at least a few customers to take the faster service.

Giftcards for new subscribers
Everyone loves giftcards. In fact, they are the most requested gift in the world. You can take advantage of this trend by giving a giftcard away when a customer signs up for new service. While there is the short term cost of purchasing the cards, you can tie the promotion into a contract to ensure the program’s profitability. Michigan Broadband Services successfully used this approach last December and the company continued the program into 2017. You can see how Michigan Broadband Services’ program worked by reading this article from the February 2017 MACC eMessage.

Facebook bingo
A final idea for the holiday season is Facebook bingo. This is a program I’ve spoken about for several years now, but here is a quick review. Bingo “cards” are sent to customers as bill inserts. Customers then need to follow your company on Facebook (or other social media) or visit your website to get the bingo numbers. The interaction created by the need for bingo numbers provides ample opportunities to promote your services. Dozens of MACC clients have used “bingo” over the years with great success and their customers truly seem to love it.

For more information or assistance in implementing any of the ideas I’ve mentioned above, please feel free to contact me at 402-533-5381 or send an e-mail to macccreativeservices@maccnet.com.

P.S.  If Christmas is getting closer, that means the new year is as well. If you need help developing a plan for your marketing in 2018, please reach out to us. We can help your company reach its goals in an affordable and efficient manner. The sooner you call, the faster we can get to work for you.