The holidays are fast approaching and believe it or not amidst all the excitement it can be a great time to rev up your home business marketing efforts. During the holiday season chances are you will be attending a number of festive occasions which can provide a great opportunity for networking and subtly promoting your home business.

A question commonly asked at any holiday gathering will be “What’s new? “. This s perfect opportunity to talk about your home business venture without any obvious selling (which may not be appropriate for a light hearted occasion). Carry a few of your business cards just in case and follow up with anyone who has a genuine interest.

If your business involves selling products the holidays often provide a sales boost, as people open their wallets up wider, even in a recession. Offering holiday specials for your service based business should not be overlooked either though. Many people offer a “holiday discount” on their services but you could also consider a packaged promotion. For example, “Buy x service now, and get Y service free in the New Year.” Or certain percentage off for a holiday sale. Perhaps if you provide web design services you could offer clients a free “holiday” themed logo or theme to brighten up their company pages. Freelance writers could offer to write their clients a free holiday landing page. The possibilities are practically endless.

To promote your sale consider an email campaign to get the word out. There are a number of companies to look into:

Constant Contact

Aweber

Vertical Response

Template Zone

Infusion Soft

iContact