What's the best way to learn how to run holiday promotions if I haven't done them before?

Start by walking into a major retailer like Target or Walmart a few weeks before a holiday and observe what they’re doing. Look at how they theme their end caps, displays, and entire store around the upcoming holiday. Then apply those same principles to your own art business. Pick a promotion type (discount, free shipping, bundle, etc.), create an email sequence, post on social media, and execute the full campaign. After one holiday promotion, take a short break, then observe what the retailers do next and repeat the process. The key is to exercise these muscles consistently—run promotions for multiple holidays throughout the year to build your skill and momentum.

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Asked by artists new to running promotional campaigns · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2026-04-16