How to create a budget-friendly Christmas advert

As the Christmas season begins, you may wonder how to incorporate the holiday spirit into your small business. Memorable Christmas adverts can help celebrate the season and increase brand awareness. Plus, the average UK household spending increases by about 29% over Christmas. So, an advert can help you offer your products or services as gift ideas. 

Bigger companies, like John Lewis, can spend millions of pounds and nearly a year putting their adverts together. Luckily, you can benefit from advertising that doesn’t break the bank this Christmas, and we’ll help you get started.  

This guide will cover how to create a budget-friendly Christmas advert, including: 

• Setting a budget for your Christmas advertising
• Planning for your budget-friendly Christmas advert 
• Placing your Christmas advert for the best results 

As a small business owner, spending a lot on your Christmas advert could hurt your earnings rather than help them. But, a budget can help you benefit from the content instead.  

To get started, decide what format will be best for your business. A print advert may be less expensive to make and could be posted in a local area or publication. Alternatively, a digital advert could cost more, but the placement on the internet or TV can draw attention using music and sentiment. 

The best format depends on your small business, and it’s target audience. When planning for an effective budget-friendly Christmas advert, try to prioritise the people you want to reach. Also, think about how it can help your brand building. A compatible tone and design can help viewers recognise your business.  

Once you decide the format, you can establish a budget and stick to it. Typically, established businesses spend about 6-12% of their overall earnings on marketing and advertising. Successful adverts can be made with just a few hundred pounds.  

To get a better idea of the proper budget, consider how many people you want to reach to produce sales. Adverts you made in the past can help estimate your reach. Then, research similar businesses’ content to compare other budgets. 

If you plan your Christmas advert well, a small budget can create a big impact. We’ll cover a few elements that can strengthen your finished product and lower the cost. 

Before putting yours together, decide what story you’ll tell to draw your audience. You could choose a Christmas tale or your personal story, but try to connect it back to your small business somehow. At the end of your advert, ask yourself if the viewer would be aware of what you’re selling. 

A great example of a low-budget but highly successful Christmas advert is Hafod Hardware’s from 2019. This clip tells a story about the owner and his son and spreads a Christmas message to be kind. All the while, it effectively advertises the products of their store as useful winter tools and gifts. 

Successful Christmas adverts are often positive and sentimental, a tone that can be comforting and eye-catching. You don’t need a big budget to share a caring message. Something as minor as wishing people a happy Christmas can remind your audience that you care. 

For video adverts, consider adding music that sets a tone, such as an acoustic song. There are plenty of platforms where you can find free music, such as the Free Music Archive, Youtube Audio Library, or Jamendo Licensing. If you have a specific song in mind that requires licensing, you may want to include this in your budget. 

The thing that sets Christmas adverts apart is the theme. Including holiday elements in your advert will help people know its purpose. This theme can also remind viewers of the magical time of year and that your small business is an option for gift giving. You can add this feel by incorporating Christmas colours, decorations, and snow. 

Instead of renting a space to film, buying props and decorations, or hiring actors, look at what you can use around you. Try including yourself and your family in the advert and using Christmas decorations you already own. You can also film the advert at home or in your shop to avoid high production costs.  

Another great way to save money on your advert is by doing most of the work yourself. If you have a video camera and a little skill, you can film your own advert. You can also use platforms like Vimeo, iMovie, or Youtube to edit the video. All you need is a bit of research and practice on how to film and edit content. This can help you avoid hiring a videographer and editor. 

If you’re creating a print advert or online banner, you may want to design it yourself to save money rather than hiring a graphic designer. To do this, you can use free platforms like Canva or Design Wizard. These platforms also offer tutorials and design tips to help strengthen your skills. 

Once you create your budget-friendly Christmas advert, you’ll need to pay to place it somewhere for people to see. Still, there’s a variety of options for placement and pricing. 

You may want to consider a local print advertisement to raise brand awareness in your area. Then, you could book a desirable slot on local television. Alternatively, Google or social media advertising can reach a wider digital audience. 

If you have a small business Youtube channel, consider uploading it there. You can easily share this link on your small business website and social media accounts. Once you get your Christmas advertisement out there, you can start benefiting from the holiday season. 

To budget for your Christmas advert, you’ll need to organise your finances well. Financial management can be stressful and time-consuming when you’re self-employed. That’s why thousands of business owners use the Countingup app to make their financial admin easier. 

Countingup is the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. With features like automatic expense categorisation, invoicing on the go, receipt capture tools, tax estimates, and cash flow insights, you can confidently keep on top of your business finances wherever you are. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 

Find out more here.