Christmas is the busiest season of the year for many small and medium-sized enterprises, but it’s also one of the most competitive.
With advertising costs soaring in November and December, many SMEs assume meaningful promotion is out of reach unless they have a sizeable marketing budget.
The good news? You can promote your business for free this Christmas, and do it effectively, if you focus on visibility, storytelling, and community engagement rather than paid ads.
Even better, platforms like That’s Christmas 365 exist specifically to help businesses gain festive exposure without draining precious cashflow.
Here’s how to do it.
1. Lean Into Christmas Stories, Not Sales Pitches
At Christmas, people don’t want to be sold to relentlessly, they want stories.
Free promotion works best when you:
Share why your business exists
Highlight your Christmas traditions or festive preparations
Talk about how you support your local community
Explain how your product or service helps make Christmas easier, warmer, or more joyful
A small bakery sharing its Christmas Eve routine or a craft business explaining how it sources festive materials ethically is far more engaging than a blunt “Buy now” message.
These stories are exactly the kind of content that gets picked up and shared organically.
2. Use Your Existing Channels Properly
Before spending a penny, make sure you are fully using what you already have:
Your website, add a festive landing page or Christmas blog posts
Email newsletters, even a small list can drive meaningful traffic
Social media, festive posts consistently outperform generic ones
Google Business Profile, update photos, opening hours, and Christmas offers
Consistency matters more than volume. A handful of thoughtful, festive updates can outperform dozens of rushed posts.
3. Collaborate Instead of Competing
Christmas is the perfect time to collaborate with:
Other local SMEs
Independent makers
Community groups or charities
Joint giveaways, shared social posts, or bundled offers cost nothing but dramatically expand your reach. When two businesses share each other’s audiences, both benefit, and customers love seeing cooperation over competition at Christmas.
4. Get Featured on Christmas-Focused Platforms
One of the most effective ways to gain free festive exposure is to appear where people are already looking for Christmas inspiration.
How That’s Christmas 365 Helps SMEs
That’s Christmas 365 is a year-round Christmas platform read by people actively planning, shopping, decorating, gifting, and celebrating. Being featured puts your business directly in front of a festive-minded audience without the cost of paid advertising.
The site regularly highlights:
Small and independent businesses
Seasonal products and services
Christmas traditions, food, drink, gifts, and experiences
UK-focused festive stories and brands
A mention, feature, or inclusion in a Christmas-themed article can:
Drive targeted traffic to your website
Improve brand recognition
Generate social media shares
Create long-tail visibility that lasts well beyond December
Because readers trust editorial content more than adverts, a genuine feature often outperforms paid ads in both engagement and conversion.
5. Think Search, Not Just December
Free promotion isn’t just about immediate sales.
Well-written Christmas content:
Ranks in Google year after year
Gets rediscovered each festive season
Builds authority and trust for your brand
That’s why platforms like That’s Christmas 365 are particularly valuable — Christmas doesn’t vanish on Boxing Day. Articles remain live, searchable, and shareable, giving your SME extended exposure long after the decorations come down.
6. Make It Easy for People to Support You
If someone wants to support your business this Christmas, don’t make them work for it.
Ensure:
Your contact details are clear
Your opening hours are updated
Your Christmas offerings are easy to understand
Your story is easy to share
Free promotion only works if people can act on it effortlessly.
A Festive Opportunity Worth Taking
Promoting your SME for free this Christmas isn’t about cutting corners, it’s about working smarter, telling better stories, and placing your business where festive audiences already are.
By combining your own channels with collaborative efforts and exposure through Christmas-focused platforms like That’s Christmas 365, you can raise your profile, build goodwill, and reach new customers without spending a fortune.
At Christmas, goodwill is marketing, and it’s one of the most powerful tools an SME can use.
You can email us at afj_uk@yahoo.com to get your name in (Christmas) lights!
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