The holiday season can be one of the busiest times of year for small businesses and creators.
U.S. holiday retail sales are predicted to increase 4.1% from the previous year, when sales reached $1.41 trillion, according to Talk Business.
Between Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Giving Tuesday, holiday markets, online orders, gift packaging, and last-minute promotions, there are a lot of moving pieces.
The good news is that your holiday marketing does not have to be complicated. A few well-planned materials can help you promote seasonal offers, make orders feel more thoughtful, and keep your branding consistent throughout the customer experience.
Whether you are selling online, preparing for holiday markets, or packing orders from your studio, here are a few practical ideas to build into your holiday marketing plan.
Plan Your Black Friday Materials Before the Rush
Black Friday promotions tend to move quickly, so this is a good time to decide what customers need to see and where they will see it.
If you are selling in person, promotional stickers or labels can help call attention to limited-time offers on packaging, displays, shopping bags, or other materials. If you sell online, the same branding can carry through to the orders customers receive after the sale.
Here are some promotional materials that can help transform your retail space or vendor table this holiday season:
- Static Cling Stickers: Use these for short-term promotions like Black Friday. They are an easy way to add a promotional message to your windows. Order small scale static cling stickers for your doors, or you can even order large scale stickers to cover your entire window space.
- Vinyl Lettering: Add festive sayings to your doors and windows with custom vinyl lettering.
- Storefront Window Stickers and Decals: Decorate your storefront windows with seasonal stickers and decals. You can also choose inside-application stickers and decals if you are concerned about the weather or installing stickers in the cold.
- A-Frame Signs: These are perfect for calling attention to holiday promotions or displaying a QR code that customers can scan to access your information. Mini A-frame signs work well on retail counters, while larger signs can help attract people walking by on the sidewalk. You can also use interchangeable inserts so you can update the message for future promotions.
- Banners: Banners are a great option for vendor fairs, markets, and in-store events.
- Specialty Material Stickers: Choose specialty materials when you want your designs to stand out. Order your next round of logo stickers on glitter or holographic materials, or try engraved wood stickers made from real wood veneer. These unique materials can grab customers' attention and become conversation starters.
Keeping your message simple makes it easier to reuse your holiday materials in different places without making your packaging feel crowded.
Make Small Business Saturday Feel Personal
Small Business Saturday is a natural opportunity to remind customers that there are real people behind the products they are buying.
For small brands, artists, makers, and creators, that personal connection can become part of the packaging itself. A custom thank-you sticker, branded seal, or small sticker included in an order can add personality without requiring a complete packaging redesign.
Small businesses can also see plenty of foot traffic on Small Business Saturday, making it a great time to leave stacks of free logo stickers on your counter if you have a brick-and-mortar location. You are likely to meet plenty of new faces on a day like this, and stickers can become little billboards for your business. People add them to their water bottles, laptops, car bumpers, and more, helping your brand travel wherever the stickers go.
You can also create seasonal artwork specifically for the weekend. Instead of using your everyday logo exactly as-is, try adding a small holiday element, seasonal message, or limited-edition design that fits your existing brand.
Not a designer? Consider collaborating with a local artist or graphic designer. It can be a fun creative partnership and a great social media opportunity for both of you!
Use Stickers to Refresh Existing Packaging
You do not necessarily need custom boxes or completely new packaging to make your holiday orders feel branded or seasonal.
Stickers and roll labels can be used to update packaging you already have. Add them to mailers, boxes, tissue paper, product containers, or paper bags to introduce holiday branding without replacing every part of your current setup.
Some simple ideas include:
- A seasonal logo sticker on the outside of a package
- A “Thank You” sticker sealing tissue paper
- A holiday label added to an existing product package
- A small branded sticker on a gift bag
- A limited-edition design used only during the holiday season
This approach can be especially useful for smaller businesses that want their holiday orders to feel different while still working with the packaging supplies they already use.
Do More With Your Order Inserts
Order inserts are useful because the customer has already made a purchase and is actively opening a package from your business. That makes the unboxing experience a great place to share useful next-step information.
Some of the most popular inserts we see ordered are Kiss-Cut Stickers, Sticker Sheets, and standard logo stickers. Kiss-Cut Stickers and Sticker Sheets are especially useful because they give you room to include more information and artwork.
Your insert could include:
- A thank-you note
- Care or product instructions
- A future discount or promotion
- Your social media information
- A request to share or tag the product
- A QR code linking to your website, review page, gift guide, or another resource
If you use a QR code, make sure there is a clear reason to scan it. “Scan to shop our holiday collection” gives customers more context than simply placing a code on the card without an explanation.
Create Materials You Can Use Beyond One Day
It is easy to make every piece of holiday marketing specific to Black Friday or Small Business Saturday, but that can also limit how long you can use it.
Consider which materials really need a date or specific offer and which can stay more general. A “Thanks for Shopping Small” sticker, for example, can stay useful throughout the holiday season. A seasonal logo design may work on orders for several weeks instead of only one promotional weekend.
This can help you build a holiday set that includes both short-term promotional pieces and more flexible seasonal branding.
Keep the Whole Experience Consistent
Your Black Friday sale, packaging, giveaway, and order insert do not need to look identical, but they should feel like they came from the same business.
Using the same logo, colors, illustration style, or holiday theme throughout your materials can make even simple packaging feel more intentional.
For creators and small businesses, this is especially useful because you may be handling several parts of the customer experience yourself. A little consistency can go a long way without adding more work than your holiday schedule can handle.
Build a Holiday Plan That Fits Your Business
You do not need every holiday marketing idea on this list. Start with the moments that matter most for your business.
If you ship a lot of orders, focus on packaging and inserts. If you attend holiday markets, prioritize giveaways and materials that help customers find you again later. If Black Friday is a major sales period for you, build your promotional pieces around that event first.
The best holiday setup is the one you can actually use consistently during an already busy season.
Getting your holiday materials ready? Start customizing stickers, labels, and other branded pieces for seasonal packaging, giveaways, order inserts, and customer gifts that feel consistent with your brand.
