Sell more gift cards this festive season
Summary
Gift card sales spike every December. Five ways to take more of it: add-ons, promotion on every channel, reminders, a Black Friday deal and a last-minute flash sale.
Five ways to make gift cards work harder over the festive season.
Gift card sales spike every December, and venues that plan ahead take more of it. Gift cards are a great source of extra revenue around the holidays, and the redemptions carry into the new year.
You do not have to wait until December either. The earlier you start promoting, the longer the money keeps coming in.
Choose digital gift cards
There are good reasons to sell gift cards digitally rather than on paper.
They are easier to buy and easier to use: a guest can order one from the sofa at ten at night and have it in their inbox a minute later, and they can personalise it with a message for whoever receives it.
For you, the bigger win is the data. A digital gift card purchase ties into your marketing platform, so buyers join your guest database like any other customer and you can stay in touch with them long after the card is redeemed.
Five ways to make gift card sales a success
Here is how to get the most out of the season.
1. Add-ons
Everyone sells gift cards. Make yours worth choosing by turning the credit into a special experience with an add-on:
Tasting menu
A free extra, like dessert or a bottle of sparkling wine
Drinks package
Festive hamper, for example a cheese selection
Top-up option, such as a double-value card
2. Promote on every channel
Your gift cards should be highly visible everywhere your customers already are.
Website:
Seasonal homepage banner or popup
A clear buying flow with plain terms and conditions
Email and SMS:
Send a campaign to your full database
Include previous buyers, they often purchase again as gifts
Save SMS for last-minute pushes, where speed is the point
Social media:
Link gift cards in your Instagram bio
Change your Facebook page button to Shop Now
Pin a gift card post to your feeds
Show off the seasonal menu and decorations, with a gift card call-to-action attached
3. Send reminders
Keep promoting in the run-up to the holidays with regular reminders across your channels. Keep the mailing list clean as you go and exclude people who have already bought, so the reminders stay welcome.
4. Give Black Friday a push
Simple but effective. Build a special deal around Black Friday and give gift card sales an early peak before December even starts.
5. Run a last-minute flash sale
There are always people who leave their shopping to the final days. A flash sale in the week before the holidays, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day, catches them.
If you want digital gift cards that sell from your own website and feed your guest data at the same time, book a demo and get set up before the rush.
See it running on your venues
One unified guest record across Wi-Fi, bookings, reviews and loyalty, and the marketing that acts on it.