Holiday gift guides are a visual and trendy way to promote your popular holiday items both online and in your retail store. According to a survey by Tinuiti, “77% of shoppers plan to carry out at least half of their holiday shopping online.” While eMarketer predicts "holiday retail ecommerce sales will account for 19.8% of total holiday retail sales [in 2024]. This represents holiday ecommerce’s largest jump in share since 2020."
Don’t wait to promote your holiday items either. Vericast found that "consumers aren’t shopping early unless enticed to do so. Nearly half (44%) of consumers plan to start shopping for the holidays in October or earlier, down from 47% in 2023, while 31% of parents, more likely than other consumer groups, do most of their shopping in October or earlier. Most consumers (74%) plan to do most of their holiday shopping in November (41%) and December (33%)." If you want shoppers to place their orders before November and December, you may want to start promoting your holiday offerings in October. With more than a quarter of shoppers expected to wait until December to shop, compile a “last-minute gifts” guide of popular, ready-to-gift items that can be purchased in a pinch.
Pick a specific category.
A visually appealing gift guide will not only help put your gift items in front of consumers, it will also help them check recipients off their shopping list with suggested gift ideas. Need ideas for your hard-to-buy-for dad? Check. What about stocking stuffers or the perfect gift for the person on your list who has everything? Check and check.
When it comes to creating your gift guide, imagine who your customers will be buying for, targeting specific customer segments beyond “women,” “men” and “kids.” Consider categorizing lists by interests, like a sweet and nutty trail mix for outdoor enthusiasts or a chocolate and wine pairing for the wine aficionado.
Another easy idea would be to categorize items by ingredient, flavor or texture. Compile your peanut butter meltaway, peanut brittle, chocolate-covered peanuts and peanut butter fudge onto a guide labeled “Gifts for Peanut Butter Lovers.” Or do you have a collection of mint-chocolate flavored products? What about a guide for those who are “All About the Crunch,” complete with caramel corn, toffee, brittle and chocolate-covered pretzels?
Find the perfect gift for the outdoor enthusiast, thanks to this gift guide by BusbeeStyle. We especially like the simple grid design. The numbers and labels make it easy for customers to identify and purchase products with links for each item included in the description.
Theo Chocolate has curated a flavor-inspired collection of gift ideas that looks both beautiful and delicious. Categories include the perfect gift ideas for lovers all things spicy, minty, salty, fruity and then some. Click here to view the full guide.
This gift guide from Always Order Dessert is for those well-meaning shoppers looking to snag a last-minute gift that doesn’t feel like an afterthought. This bright and bold header makes it super clear to the reader that the items on this gift guide are the perfect solution for the last-minute shopper.
Consider categorizing some items by price, since most people have a budget in mind when shopping for gifts. “While many shoppers may gravitate toward lower-priced categories, don’t shy away from a luxury list for those looking to splurge,” suggests Cathie Ericson with Square.
Try to keep your gift guides concise, highlighting three to seven items. Too many items can get lost and turn shoppers away before they’re able to make a decision, let alone a purchase. If you have more items that you’d like to highlight, make several smaller gift guides instead of one big list.
Get Visual
Visuals are a must when it comes to a good gift guide. Period. If you don’t have a photo for every item on your gift guide, breakout your smart phone (or ask a friend or a member of your team who has a smart phone with a good camera to help) and start snapping. For best results, we recommend photographing your products against colors that contrast to make your product pop.
Decide if you’d like to layout your products as part of a more “lifestyle” look or if you plan to remove the background of your product photos and lay them out using design software (keep reading for tips on how to do this—for free—with zero design experience). If you plan to remove the background, photograph product on a solid, white sheet of paper or cardstock for milk or dark chocolate. Try a darker, solid color for the background when photographing white chocolate.
Sweet tip: Canva.com is a free graphic design platform that is easy to use even if you have zero design experience. With free and paid subscriptions, Canva’s a super-easy “background remover” tool removes the background of an image in one click. By removing the background, you can easily achieve a professional look by dragging and dropping your gift items and their descriptions within the guide layout. Click here to watch Canva’s two-minute tutorial.
Partner with Local Businesses
High Note Gifts of Nashville features some of their favorite local gifts in this easy-to-follow gift guide.
Invite some of your favorite local businesses to be featured in your gift guide. Coffee shops, wineries and boutiques are examples of local businesses to partner with this holiday season. Offer to include one of their signature items on your guide and ask them to share your gift guide on their own social media pages. Tagging their business in your social media posts will offer your partners greater brand exposure and encourage them to return the favor.
Seal the Deal
Before tying your gift guide(s) with a bow, make sure it is clear how to purchase the items listed. This may include a web address and phone number or a direct link to your website or Facebook Shop.
For shoppers seeking unique, local gifts to share this holiday season, a fun holiday gift guide is sure to pique their interest. We think you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to create a professional-looking guide highlighting your products. Cheers to a sweet holiday season ahead!
Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration.
Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.
