Grow 2025 Holiday Marketing Tips for Small Businesses: AI-Powered Ideas to Boost Sales

The lights may be off and the booths packed away, but Grow 2025’s insights are just getting started. This year’s Thryv conference gave small business owners a front-row seat to the future of marketing — one where authenticity meets automation, and AI helps owners reclaim time without losing the human touch.

As the holidays approach, these lessons are more relevant than ever. Whether you’re running a home services company, a boutique, or a local restaurant, the ideas from Grow 2025 can help you drive sales, boost loyalty, and stand out this season.

Here are the biggest takeaways — and the holiday marketing tips for small businesses you can execute right now.

1. Turn Setbacks into Strategy (Barbara Corcoran)

Barbara Corcoran reminded attendees that every “no” is proof you’re taking the right risks. Her advice: use rejection as fuel and keep moving forward.

Holiday Marketing Tip:
If your “Black Friday” sale underperforms, don’t scrap it — reframe it as a “Local Saturday Thank You” event. Offer returning customers a small freebie (like a hot cocoa bar in-store or a complimentary mini service) to rebuild engagement.

Or if email open rates lag, test an eye-catching subject line like “[First Name], your early gift just arrived ”. The beauty of being small is agility — you can adjust fast when something doesn’t hit.

2. Lead With Purpose and People (David Heath, Bombas)

David Heath’s formula — Purpose + People + Product = Longevity — hits especially hard during the holidays. People want to support brands that give back and care deeply about their communities.

Holiday Marketing Tip:

• A local salon could launch “Cuts for a Cause,” donating $5 per haircut to a local shelter.
• A home services company could offer free safety checks for seniors.
• A boutique could invite customers to bring in gently used coats for donation and get 10% off their purchase.

Promote the campaign through social media and email with messaging like, “Shop Small, Give Big.” Pair every act of giving with a personal thank-you message — it turns goodwill into loyalty.

3. Marketing Wins Don’t Require Massive Budgets (Jay Schwedelson)

Jay Schwedelson’s message was clear: smarter, not costlier. You don’t need new tools; you need sharper tactics.

Holiday Marketing Tip:

• Add trust signals to your holiday promotions — like “Voted #1 in [Your City]” or display Google and Yelp badges.
• Run a 5-day “Holiday Countdown” email series with daily offers or festive tips.
• Use curiosity-driven subject lines like “We wrapped up a little surprise for you…” to boost open rates.
• Test one new offer every week — such as “Buy a gift card, get 20% extra value” — and track which one drives the most clicks.

Let the data show you what works. The more you test, the smarter your next campaign becomes.

4. Let AI Do the Heavy Lifting (Sharon Lee Thony + AI-powered Thryv solutions)

AI was everywhere at Grow 2025, but Sharon Lee Thony reminded business owners that you don’t need every tool — just the right one. Thryv’s AI features make marketing easier without losing the personal touch.

Holiday Marketing Tip:

• Use Thryv’s Caption AI to instantly write festive, brand-ready social posts (e.g., “The perfect gift for your home? A worry-free winter — book your furnace check today!”).
• Generate polished holiday emails with AI Content Assistant — no blank-page stress.
• Set up AI Review Response to automatically thank happy customers or reply thoughtfully to reviews, even when you’re busy.
• Try AI Automation Assistant to send follow-up texts or appointment reminders leading up to year-end.

By letting AI handle the repetitive work, you get more time to connect personally — whether that’s calling loyal clients or planning a small business open house.

5. Visibility Is the New Currency (Lisa Landsman, Google)

Lisa Landsman emphasized that being visible online is the foundation of every growth strategy. If your customers can’t find you, your marketing can’t work.

Holiday Marketing Tip:

• Update your Google Business Profile with holiday hours, festive photos, and special offers.
• Add seasonal posts like “Book your holiday cleaning before December 15 and get 10% off!”
• Run a small, local ad campaign targeting nearby shoppers searching for “holiday deals” or “gifts near me.”
• Encourage happy customers to leave new reviews — it boosts search ranking right when people are shopping the most.

Think of this as hanging up your digital holiday lights — you want to shine when customers go looking.

6. Turn First-Time Buyers into Lifelong Fans (Emily Washcovick, Yelp)

According to Yelp’s research, 88% of shoppers trust written reviews more than ratings alone. That means your best marketing strategy is turning one great experience into many.

Holiday Marketing Tip:

• After a sale, send a thank-you email or SMS that includes a personal note and a “Next Visit” coupon for January.
• Encourage reviews by adding a QR code on receipts or signage that says “Loved your visit? Tell us on Yelp and get a 10% thank-you!”
• Publicly reply to every review — positive or negative — within 48 hours.
• Surprise loyal customers with small gifts: a free upgrade, a bonus add-on, or a handwritten card.

It’s not the size of the gesture that counts — it’s showing that you notice and appreciate every customer.

7. Optimize for AI-Driven Search (Duda + Thryv Tech in Action)

The digital landscape is changing fast, and Grow 2025 speakers from Thryv and Duda warned that AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are reshaping how customers discover local businesses.

Holiday Marketing Tip:

• Add a Holiday FAQ section to your website with answers like “Do you offer gift cards?” or “What are your holiday hours?”
• Use Thryv’s AI Website Builder to create fresh holiday pages in minutes — complete with optimized meta tags and structured data.
  
• Include seasonal keywords like “holiday deals,” “gift ideas,” and “local holiday specials” in your headlines and blog posts.
• Keep listings consistent across all directories — mismatched info confuses both customers and AI systems.

Your website now does double duty: it attracts human buyers and feeds the data that helps AI tools recommend your business.

8. Grow Smarter, Not Harder: Your Holiday Action Plan

The biggest takeaway from Grow 2025? Growth isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what matters most.

The holiday season is short, but its impact can last all year if you build trust and connection at every step.

The Big Picture: Holiday Growth with Heart and AI

Grow 2025 proved that the businesses winning in 2025 are those that blend empathy with innovation. Whether it’s Barbara Corcoran’s resilience, David Heath’s purpose-driven leadership, or Sharon Lee Thony’s balanced approach to AI, one truth shines through: technology amplifies what already makes small businesses great — authenticity, agility, and heart.

As you move into the holidays, let AI streamline your to-do list, but let your story and service shine. Because when small businesses grow smarter, they don’t just survive the season — they thrive well into the new year.