Ever since Black Friday, your inbox has been inundated with holiday deals, end-of-year sales, and unbeatable discounts. But how do you make your brand, and product, stand out when so many voices are competing for your time and dime? The holidays are an exciting and hectic time for small businesses, and it’s never been more important to grab attention and promote your brand. To stand out this December, below are some holiday marketing tips to keep sales (and cheer) up this season.

1. Use the holidays to your advantage.

Why deny the season? Add festive emojis to your subject line, like????????❄️, and use copy that connotes the holidays and celebrates their wonders. The holidays only come once a year, so — as OptionMonster.com says — “use urgency.” Do your sales end before the new year? Is something only offered for a limited time? Use a timeline to your advantage to promote sales and seasonal gifts.

2. Make your discounts feel like gifts.

In mobile ads, social media campaigns, and email subject lines, make your reader feel special and like they are getting a holiday present. For buttons where you’d normally say, “Learn more” or “Buy now,” try something more seasonal like “Open gift,” “See holiday treat,” or “Unwrap now.” Get creative!

3. A/B test your subject lines.

This is helpful not just during the holidays but at any point during the year: see what your audience is responding to by testing out your email subject lines. Do they like the hard sell, or do they want something less forward? Each audience will respond differently — how does yours? To retain interest and target accordingly, it’s imperative that you know how your audience behaves during the busiest time of year.

4. Show your elves at work!

As Forbes says, “When agents use video, they can better develop customer trust, personalize conversations, and create a truly lasting customer connection.” Thanks to Instagram and countless other social media channels, video is an increasingly popular (and vital) medium to share stories about your company. Audiences want to understand the magic that happens behind the scenes, so shoot an interview with your founder, show something interesting a partner is working on, and spotlight the holiday fun your small business has to keep the holidays merry and bright! As much as people want sales, they also want stories to build brand awareness and trust.

5. Share an end-of-year recap.

Tell your audiences how your company has grown or what it has accomplished in the past year. People want to see the arc of your business and the reach of your brand. Offer some kind of engaging content, like a listicle about “6 Things We’ve Accomplished This Year,” and spread it on your social media channels and emails. This will familiarize readers with your company’s narrative while building awareness. Though this does not proposition a hard sell, it will indirectly influence future ones as readers continue to trust and contextualize your brand.