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November marks the start of the holiday season for many businesses, and there’s no better time than now to begin preparing a holiday strategy. Be sure to take into account that in 2014 there is a shortened selling season, with only 26 shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so planning is key. Here are some tips to help you boost your online and sales presence during the biggest retailer and sales months of the year.

Research

During the holidays, everyone is vying for attention from potential consumers, so how do you get yourself to stand out from the rest? Start internally, by determining what message you want to send, what products you want to focus on, and what your customers have been interested in in previous years during similar time periods. Are you aware of online social trends? Where do you find the most social engagement, and what hashtags and images are doing the best in your sphere?

Decorate

Decorate your brand with the holiday spirit! Use fall or winter themed cover photos, profile images, backgrounds and the like. A few falling leaves or snow covered logos and images can really refresh your social pages and show customers you are doing proper upkeep on your assets and are on point with trends.

Traditional

A shout-out to a user via Twitter or a tag on Facebook is what’s popular these days and is certainly a quick way to reach out, but don’t undersell the value of the traditional approach. A handwritten holiday card to your key clients or circle figures can go a long way. In such a digital age, don’t neglect the small, personal touches that others can see going above and beyond to reach them.

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--Cydcor, the leading provider of in-person sales teams, announced that team members recently donated 114 gifts to children at nearby EARTHS Magnet School. “Being able to give them presents – ones they really wanted – is a great feeling for all of us.”

Cydcor team members regularly volunteer time on a weekly basis to children at the school and wanted to make their holiday season one to remember. The 51 team members each picked a child’s “wish tag” on Cydcor’s Christmas tree and purchased the gift or gift card requested for the individual child.

Last week, several team members personally delivered the gifts to the school, including one who dressed up like Santa Claus. Gifts ranged from clothing and shoes to toys and the gift cards. The children were all between the ages of five and eleven years old.

“Everyone at Cydcor was so excited to help these kids have an awesome holiday,” said Chief Operating Officer Vera Quinn. “Being able to give them presents – ones they really wanted – is a great feeling for all of us.”

In November, Cydcor team members also donated Thanksgiving dinners to the EARTHS families and plans to continue volunteering and giving back for years to come.

Team member happiness and engagement is a priority at Cydcor (have you seen our Cydcor Harlem Shake video?).  As office party experts, we wanted to share some tips to make your office party a success.  Planning a holiday office party doesn’t have to be stressful. These suggestions could make your holiday party one of the best ever!

Have food that everyone can enjoy.

It can’t all be sweets. Have food that can accommodate all diets found in the office. Gluten-free or vegan options can add some variety to the typical holiday nourishment. Try this gluten-free Christmas cookie recipe here.

Create a holiday dress theme that will be memorable.

A holiday festivity isn’t complete without a suggested dress code. Be it an ugly sweater party, to dressing up as famous holiday movie characters, the theme of your holiday party can add a new dimension of fun to the typical work gathering. You could even make it holiday-colored formal wear only!

Incorporate community service or charity into the party.

They don’t call it the season of giving for nothing. While collecting money for food and supplies for the party, donate a portion toward you’re a holiday charity. Not only will you be helping a good cause, but you will also be promoting a theme of the holiday season! Even better, have the party after a community service event that will aid those who won’t have a place to stay for the holidays. At Cydcor, we try to incorporate our fundraising partnership with Operation Smile into many of our events and activities.

Keep the holiday jams coming (but also be negotiable).

Christmas music on repeat may be enjoyable to some but there are also people who aren’t big fans. Mix it up with a few classic party songs as well as some songs to sing along to, like Frosty the Snowman or Baby, It’s Cold Outside. You could even have an employee perform if there happens to be a musician in the office.

Decorate the office with attractive adornments.

It can be tough to get people into the holiday mood without some merry decorations. From fresh wreaths to ribbon garland, there really is no ceiling when it comes to making your party as festive as possible.

Keep everyone amused with fun activities.

There’s always the classic Secret Santa or White Elephant. People love stations for decorating Christmas cookies or building gingerbread houses. A raffle with prizes is a great holiday staple.