Understanding the role of a CRM in Christmas marketing
A hospitality CRM system should be more than just a database for storing customer information. It can be a powerful tool that can transform your festive marketing strategy by providing insights into customer behaviour, enabling personalised communication, and tracking campaign performance. During the Christmas season, when consumer spending is at its peak, a CRM system can help you make the most of every customer interaction.
Data is at the heart of great marketing, and a CRM system allows you to manage your customer relationships more effectively by gathering together all of the information you have about them in one place. This in turn will help you to personalise your marketing based on what you know about customer preferences and behaviour. That means you can send messages that resonate with the right people at the right time.
Good hospitality CRM software will let you build effective customer segments. So, instead of sending a generic Christmas promotion to your entire audience, you can create targeted campaigns for different segments. For instance, loyal customers might receive a special discount, while new customers could be enticed with a welcome offer. This level of personalisation not only increases the likelihood of conversion but also makes your customers feel valued and understood.
Creating personalised Christmas campaigns with CRM software
Personalisation is the key to successful marketing. In Ireland, more than four-fifths of Irish consumers (82%) are less brand loyal than they were two years ago with 9 out of 10 customers expecting the company they are purchasing from to ‘understand’ them. So, in a sea of generic Christmas promotions, personalised messages can make your brand a shining star. With the data collected by your CRM system, you can create tailored, personalised festive campaigns that resonate with your customers.
Let’s take a closer look at how to make your campaigns more effective.
1. Making an email list (no need to check it twice)
Email marketing is a powerful tool all year round, not just during the festive season. But no festive marketing plan would be complete without it, and when combined with your CRM data, it can deliver huge wins.
Segment your audience using key data like age, location, the last time they visited, or even their favourite dish. This will allow you to send tailored email promotions that speak directly to their interests.
For example, if a customer frequently orders a particular dish, you can send them a special offer on that dish for their Christmas party. Or if they usually visit with the kids, why not send them a promotion to bring the family along for a Christmas treat?
The data in your CRM can also be pulled through using custom fields. By personalising subject lines, greetings, and general content, you are more likely to connect with your audience. Speaking directly to your customer can significantly increase open rates and engagement. In fact, emails that are personalised increase open rates by 26%. For instance, instead of sending a generic “Merry Christmas” email, you can send a personalised greeting that references the customer’s previous visits or purchases, making the message feel more genuine and relevant to them.
2. Give the gift of a tailored menu recommendation
Another way to leverage CRM data is by offering tailored menu recommendations. During the festive period, customers are often looking for gift ideas or special treats for their celebrations. By analysing past booking data, you can suggest items or services that align with their preferences. For example, if a customer frequently orders vegetarian dishes, you can recommend a vegetarian Christmas menu option. Or if they love your coffee, maybe show them your special Christmas travel mugs?
Tailored recommendations not only enhance the customer experience but also increase the likelihood of upselling and cross-selling. In fact, roughly 80% of all consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalised experiences.
3. Merry Christmas, from your brand
Dialling up the warmth with seasonal greetings is a simple and effective way to connect with your customers and build brand loyalty. Using CRM data, you can craft really warm Christmas messaging that buys into the spirit and shows appreciation for your customers’ loyalty. For example, you can send a “Thank You” message to customers who have visited your restaurant multiple times throughout the year, along with a special seasonal offer.
Personalised greetings can also be an opportunity to invite customers to your Christmas events or special promotions. A warm, personalised message can make your customers feel valued and more likely to engage with your offers. Here are a few more ideas to try this season:
Be your customers’ Secret Santa
What better time than Christmas to offer your customers some thoughtful treats? For example, offering a select segment of customers a special discount code or an invitation to a special event. A CRM system can help you identify the right people to send these messages to.
Or perhaps as Irish customers celebrate our traditional Nollaig na mBan on January 6, it would be the ideal time to communicate to those celebrating the occasion of ‘Little Christmas’ with some good wishes or details of any special menus or tea treats.
Show your regulars festive goodwill
One of the most effective ways to boost sales and foster goodwill during the festive period is by offering exclusive discounts to your most loyal customers (who you’ll find in your CRM). You could recognise their loyalty with a special offer on a Christmas meal, for example. Or maybe a secret santa gift on their next visit? Get creative about how to show these loyal customers that you appreciate them. If you don’t already offer a loyalty program, this could be a great way to show your appreciation.
By identifying your VIP customers and tracking their engagement with your promotions, you can begin to form a clearer picture of who they are, and what they want from you. You can also automate these promotional campaigns, ensuring that your VIP customers receive their special offers at just the right moment without any additional effort on your part.
Spice up your seasonal offerings
Introducing a Christmas menu before the traditional festive dates can help you capitalise on your customers’ holiday spirit. By offering certain customers early access to festive bookings, and exclusive seasonal offerings, you create a sense of exclusivity and urgency, encouraging them to make a booking before seats are filled.
Using what you know about them already, you might want to think about bundling together popular seasonal items or menu offers to provide customers with a more tailored dining experience.
4. Building bonds with your customers this Christmas
Yes, reaching a new audience is important, but as we’ve touched on already, developing relationships with your existing customers could actually be more important to your continued success. It’s significantly cheaper to retain an existing customer than to acquire a new one, and when you implement a good CRM system into your operations, you’re better able to make sure your marketing is resonating with those existing customers.
Tracking your Christmas promotions
Depending on which CRM solution you choose, you should be able to quickly and simply access data in real-time, helping you identify what’s working in your Christmas campaigns and where adjustments might be needed. If a promotion underperforms, you can quickly tweak the offer or try a new approach.
Post-Christmas follow-ups are just as crucial here. A personalised thank-you message or a special New-year offer after a Christmas meal full of positive memories is sure to keep your business at the forefront of your customers’ minds.
A customer should be for life, not just for Christmas
While Christmas is an especially warm and festive time of year, building and nurturing relationships with customers is something that should be built into your marketing year-round
CRM systems make it easy to stay in touch with your customers by sending personalised offers for birthdays, anniversaries, or other key moments throughout the upcoming year, helping to convert festive diners into regular guests.
How Access can maximise your Christmas marketing success
In this article, we’ve looked in depth at how personalised marketing can be a great way to engage your customers and increase revenue this Christmas. We’ve shared some ideas for promotional activities for the festive season, and we’ve also discussed how you can use CRM software to make this all much easier.
Our hospitality CRM software helps to turn data into profit by giving you all the information you need to build highly personalised marketing campaigns. Trusted by thousands of hospitality businesses, Acteol’s user friendly interface and 70+ integrations make it a fantastic choice for businesses who want to not only increase footfall, but also maximise average spend per head.
To learn more about how our CRM software can kickstart your marketing campaigns, explore our Hospitality CRM Brochure or watch our 5-minute video to see how easy it is to get started.
