With the holidays right around the corner, launching your seasonal marketing campaign can be a great way to generate a fresh set of customers. Seasonal marketing campaigns have long been used by brick-and-mortar stores, especially retail companies turn to themed goods and specials over each holiday. Online businesses can offer free shipping or deep discounts for special shopping days organized around a theme or event, and offering a seasonal or holiday special can help capture a few new customers as they discover the bargains. Here are just five more ways to succeed with a seasonal marketing campaign for your small business:

1. Organize your biggest seasonal launch after New Year's. The holiday shopping rush can quickly eliminate small players in most industries, and it can become especially challenging to get the visibility you need for a new marketing campaign during the buzz of holiday season. If you stage your biggest specials after New Year's, the chances of reaching your target audience are much higher.

2. Launch your promotion no less than 15 days before the actual holiday. This gives your prospective customers a chance to get comfortable with your message, keep you on top of mind as the holiday approaches, and will help you maximize your efforts so that you have a strong and steady presence at the most critical time.

3. Focus on a central message or theme. It can be tempting to start spreading your marketing wings with multiple slogans, ad campaigns, and incentives during holiday season; with so much competition, it can be challenging to find something truly unique but your efforts will be well worth it. Develop a central message that is memorable and easily recognizable; you'll have a higher chance of success when your brand simply stands apart from the rest.

4. Stage each campaign launch. Building up your campaign with teasers does take effort, but can be an effective way to generate some interest in your brand and keep potential customers interested and involved. Holiday season is one of the toughest to get your customer's attention, and doing it in a creative way can help keep you as a top contender.

5. Don't forget the value of free gifts. Gift-ing season is a great time to encourage customers to ‘earn' a gift for themselves; develop a campaign that allows every customer to get a reward-this can take the form of rewards points, free gifts after a purchase, or a gift card for a shopping spree of their own. Encouraging customers to shop with your company, or choose your services, is much easier when they have a tangible incentive available.

Another way to keep motivation to shop at its highest? Extend a ‘bring a friend' discount to shoppers who buy from your store over a specific time period; it's a simple way to get two people into the store, and prompt them to make a purchase. Online, you might offer e-mail invitational discounts and special sale alerts to subscribers of your website . Getting feedback from your customers after the campaign or purchase can also help you make better decisions and strategies for the following season; prepare for holiday success this season with any of these tips and ideas!