" Your schedule will fill up. The question is, will it fill with the right clients?"
- Daniel Cowan
How to Market Your Holiday Light Business for Maximum Sales
If you've ever hit December wishing you'd booked more high-paying jobs (or turned away fewer last-minute tire-kickers), keep reading. Big Star Lights founder Daniel Cowan recently hosted a Strategy Session webinar that outlined real-world tactics to help you get in front of better clients earlier in the season, and with stronger offers that convert.
Whether you're running two trucks or a 10-crew operation, these strategies can help you book faster, increase job quality, and build momentum year after year.
🎥 Watch the full strategy session video below for in-depth tactics, Q&A, and installer community insights.
Table of Contents
- Why Marketing Is Your Growth Engine
- The Rule of 7 (and Why It's Now Closer to 12)
- The "Dream Outcome" Formula
- Tools That Convert: Signs, Wraps, Ads & More
- Timing Your Campaigns to Customer Psychology
- Turning Crews Into Marketers (Incentives That Work)
- What Installers Are Doing Right Now
- Final Takeaway: Build Your Ecosystem
- FAQs
- Summary
1. Why Marketing Is Your Growth Engine
Most installers assume their calendar will fill on its own because Christmas lights “sell themselves.” That’s partly true—demand spikes every November—but here’s the real issue: if you don’t control the flow of leads, you’ll end up with jobs that are rushed, underpriced, or logistically painful. Marketing is the lever that lets you shape your season instead of being shaped by it.
Think of it this way: without a clear marketing plan, you’re waiting for luck—referrals, random Google searches, or walk-up calls. With a system, you decide which neighborhoods to target, which types of homes to pursue, and how to fill your schedule with higher-margin jobs.
💡 Pro Tip: You attract the best clients by showing up first with consistent, professional marketing.
2. The Rule of 7 (Now Closer to 12)
Here’s a mistake many newer installers make: they run a single ad or put out one round of lawn signs and expect the phone to ring. In reality, customers rarely act the first time they see you. It takes repeated exposure—sometimes 7 to 12 times—before they feel ready to reach out.
This isn’t theory. Facebook’s own research shows people need to see your brand 6–8 times per week for it to stick. Google Ads data says most conversions happen after 7–12 brand interactions. For installers, that means you can’t rely on one channel—you need multiple touchpoints that reinforce each other.
Imagine a homeowner’s journey: they see your wrapped truck in their neighborhood, then your lawn sign down the street, then a sponsored Instagram post. A week later, when they Google “Christmas light installer near me,” your name feels familiar. That’s when they click you instead of the unknown company two spots down.
💡 Pro Tip: Make a rule for your team: leave a lawn sign for every finished job. It’s the cheapest way to get repeat exposures in the that neighborhood.
3. Sell the Dream, Not the Bulbs
One of Daniel’s best reminders from the session: homeowners don’t actually want lights installed. They want the result—a house that looks amazing, holiday stress off their shoulders, kids’ faces lighting up when the switch flips. That’s what you’re really selling.
Think of your marketing through this formula:
Value = (Dream Outcome × Confidence You’ll Deliver) ÷ (Time Delay × Effort Required)
You raise value by painting the dream clearly, showing proof you can achieve it, moving fast, and removing hassle. For installers, that might sound like:
- Guaranteed install date so clients aren’t left waiting.
- “Love your lights or we fix them free.”
- Photos and testimonials that show what a finished project looks like.
- Full-service promise: design, install, take down, and storage.
💡 Pro Tip: Avoid generic marketing language. Instead, say: “We’ll give you the best-looking house on the block—installed, removed, and stored for you.”
4. Tools That Actually Move the Needle
Not every marketing tool is worth your time. Here’s what pros said works best:
- Lawn Signs: Leave one at every job. Place it so cars see it, not just the homeowner’s family.
- Truck Wraps: They’re not just branding—they’re lead machines when parked visibly in a neighborhood.
- Door Hangers: Hit five houses up and down from every install. Add a QR code so it’s one tap to request a quote.
- Google Ads: Pricier in November, but the leads are ready to buy. Geo-target tightly to avoid wasted spend.
- Facebook/Instagram Ads: Great for storytelling and retargeting prospects who’ve already checked your site.
- Referrals: Don’t wait until the job is done to ask. When you win a project, ask right away: “Is there anyone else on your block who might want this too?”
💡 Pro Tip: Bundle marketing into your crews’ workflow. For example: before leaving a job, drop 10 door hangers, and snap an “after” photo for your social media.
5. Timing Your Efforts Around Customer Behavior
Marketing isn’t just about what you do, it’s about when you do it.
- August–September: Prep materials. Order signs, update your website, and make sure trucks are wrapped. Even if clients aren’t ready yet, you need to be.
- October: Launch ads and start physical marketing. The first cold weekend is when homeowners start thinking about lights—be there first.
- November: This is your “yes month.” Leads are plentiful, but so is competition. Retarget past visitors and push urgency (“limited install slots left”).
- December: Last-minute installs happen. Stay visible for procrastinators.
- Off-Season: Keep the conversation alive with email and social. A springtime storm photo with a caption like “Can’t wait until next season?” keeps you top of mind.
💡 Pro Tip: Track when your market typically wakes up to holiday installs. In some regions it’s Halloween weekend, in others mid-November.
6. Making Crews Part of the Marketing Team
One challenge installers shared was getting crews to actually put out lawn signs or hand out door hangers. The fix? Incentives.
Some pros gamify it: every truck must place 20 signs a day, and crews get a bonus or Friday beers if they hit the target. Others track referrals by installer name and give gift cards to the team members who generate the most.
💡 Pro Tip: Post a leaderboard in your shop. When crews see who’s driving the most new business, competition keeps everyone motivated.
7. What Pros Are Seeing Work Right Now
During the session, installers posted their marketing results real-time in the chat:
- Ben leaned hard into Google Ads and booked dozens of jobs.
- Josh swears truck wraps bring in the most calls.
- Wes is seeing leads from Facebook, though quality varies—he finds hyper-local targeting makes the difference.
- Jennifer said the simple act of mentioning “we store your lights” got clients asking about next year’s installs on the spot.
💡 Pro Tip: Most wins come from multi-channel marketing. Test, adjust, and double down on the mix that works in your city.
8. Build a Marketing Ecosystem, Not One-Offs
No single ad campaign or tactic will carry your season. The real power comes from building an ecosystem: each channel reinforces the others, each job creates visibility for the next, and each satisfied client becomes a megaphone for your brand.
That’s how you go from chasing leads one year to having a calendar that fills itself the next.
💡 Pro Tip: Before the season, map your ecosystem on a whiteboard: trucks, signs, ads, referrals, website.
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FAQs
Q: Is Facebook or Google Ads better?
A: Google captures buyers actively searching. Facebook builds awareness and retargets. Most pros use both together.
Q: How much should I budget for marketing?
A: A good rule of thumb is 5–10% of projected revenue. Scale it as your crews grow.
Q: What if I can’t afford wraps or signs yet?
A: Start small. Even one yard sign per job builds recognition. Scale up as you reinvest profits.
Summary
- Homeowners buy the dream, not the bulbs.
- It takes 7–12 touchpoints before most clients act.
- Marketing tools only work when layered together.
- Timing matters as much as tactics.
- Crews can (and should) be part of the marketing engine.