Business tips

Gift cards - the perfect client magnet for the Holiday season

gift-card

Gift cards - the perfect client magnet for the Holiday season

You may be fully booked for the December already, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get even more sales out of the Holiday season. “How?”, you may ask in awe, “There are only 24 hours in a day and I’m not sacrificing my lunch break!” Don’t worry, we are not going to persuade you to give up on your carefully hidden pack of mince pies - just the opposite actually, as lunch breaks are absolutely necessary for both your physical and mental health. We are talking about offering your clients gift cards, as the Holiday season is just the perfect time to do so!

Why it is the right moment to sell gift cards

The Holiday season has a significant impact on our psyche. Apart from the fact that most of us get stressed out and bustle nervously, trying to get all things together, we are also prone to becoming more emotional and sentimental. It’s called “the season of giving” for a reason - we want to show our nearest and dearest our appreciation, we want to make them happy, we want them to feel their best. A visit to a spa or salon makes a very versatile gift idea and can be used for several different cases - such as:

  • When you need a present for someone you don’t know very well
  • When you need a present for someone you actually know very well - and are aware that they will be happiest when allowed to choose the exact product/service themselves
  • When you need an elegant, universal yet sophisticated present for someone like your boss, co-worker or another business-related person
  • When you want to give your close one a chance to take a break during/after this busy season

How to do it most effectively

Let’s be real honest for a minute - providing gift cards can be challenging, as it’s easy to get lost when managing it. Firstly, you have to oversee who buys the card. Secondly, you have to clearly state the expiration date of the card and whether it is redeemable for a certain service only or for an amount. Thirdly, if it's an amount voucher, you have to decide if the card is redeemable for all of your services or should you exclude some - otherwise, you may find yourself in the uncomfortable position where you suddenly realise the gift card will bring you loss instead of profit. Finally, when the person gifted with it appears to redeem it, you have to make sure the gift card is legit. Keeping track of it all - and making it profitable for both you and your clients can truly be a strain. Fortunately, if you are using Booksy, you can easily manage your vouchers through the Gift Cards and Bundled Services section that automates the whole process and makes it super easy for you to supervise all your gift cards. If you are not using Booksy yet, test-drive this and numerous other functionalities of the system by starting your free trial.

Booksy allows you to:

  • Create and sell customised gift cards
  • Make them available for online purchase
  • Use them as a payment method
  • Decide what the gift cards can be redeemed for
  • Exclude services you don’t want clients to redeem the gift cards for
  • Specify the value of the cards
  • Set their expiration date
  • Track the sold ones
  • Send automatic purchase confirmation messages
  • Bulk message clients with active gift cards
  • Check statistics regarding the generated revenue

Advertisement - channels and samples

Now, even the most well-prepared gift cards won’t be effective if no one knows about them. The perfect place to advertise them are your social media fan pages, mainly Facebook and Instagram. However, to achieve success, simply spreading the word will not be enough - you need to cleverly showcase the benefits of buying a gift card. Change your frame of mind - don’t advertise the product, advertise the emotions, the experience, the possibilities. During the Holiday season, we are especially prone to buying with our hearts instead of brains. Take advantage of that - reach your clients’ softer side. Also, remember that your gift cards are a perfect opportunity for those who struggle with present ideas - be the answer to their concerns! And to speed up things, use Booksy's Social Post Creator and get your post ready within a few seconds!

Samples:

  • This Holiday season, give your beloved one a gift of your care.
  • Sometimes the best gift you can give is a moment of relief.
  • Don’t give your dearest just any gift, give them an experience!
  • The best gift for those who already have everything!
  • Do you love her/him? Let her/him choose!
  • She/he deserves a moment for herself/himself.
  • The perfect idea when you have no idea!

Besides social media posts, you should also directly message your customers. You can do it easily with Booksy - the Message Blasts feature allows you to send customised SMS, push and email notifications to all clients in your database. And there are a few campaigns specifically dedicated for promoting gift cards, not only for Holidays, but also Valentine's Day, Mather's Day or Father's Day. By enabling the campaigns, you're making sure neither of your existing customers misses out on the opportunity to purchase your vouchers.

Get all the gift cards advantages with none of the hassles - grab your free trial and get ready to earn more this Holiday season!

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