However, festivities will still continue as people continue with their shopping plans for at-home Raya décor, traditional wear, gifts and hampers for loved ones and other festive treats.
In fact, Malaysia saw an 87% growth in e-commerce during the festive season in 2020, as compared to 2019, proving that Malaysians have a tendency to spend a bit of time and money on online purchases, especially during the festive season. This brings new opportunities for small businesses to engage with their target audiences who are in search for new products and services.
However, as the number of people shopping online grows, so does the competition in the online shopping space. How can small businesses cut through the competition and engage their customers this festive season? Here are some key tips to keep in mind.
Build a festive and creative content strategy
To fully leverage the festive season, keep in mind the behaviours and habits of your target audience. Once you have this insight, you’ll want to create content and choose channels that resonate and reach your audience during that moment of time. During Ramadan or Raya, family time and family bonding is a recurring theme. You could consider hosting a livestream to showcase your products using scenarios that demonstrate how families can use your products and services at home.
Utilise new features on social media platforms to better engage your consumers
One example is Instagram’s Shop feature – it’s easy to use and allows you to promote your brand with minimal ad spend. The great thing about promotion on social platforms is the amount of data and insights you can get to shape your marketing plans for the future. At the same time, the access to user insights and purchase behaviours in real-time gives you the opportunity to make adjustments on existing campaigns or products in an agile manner.
Be a part of the e-commerce ecosystem
To expand your reach to new customers during the festive season, partner with established (possibly Muslim-friendly) e-commerce platforms such as Zalora, FashionValet, IKHLAS or Grab. Through these digital marketplaces, you can run specific Ramadan/Raya promos, focus on a content marketing strategy and utilise analytics to improve your offerings.
Engage with your local business community
There are many business groups like CultCreative, Riuh and Rex that promote small businesses. These groups give likeminded businesses the opportunity to promote their products on various social channels, as well as collaborate with other business owners for limited edition products to generate more interest amongst consumers.
Support a greater cause
During Ramadan and leading up to Hari Raya, acts of charity and zakat especially carry a lot of meaning. Build collaborations with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or non-profit organisations (NPOs) that align with your business values and offer consumers a chance to contribute to a bigger cause through their purchases and empower them to give back to the wider community.
