September has hardly arrived. But if you are a traditional or online retailer, your mind is probably already set on planning and purchasing your inventory for the upcoming holiday season.

You’re also probably already looking toward your marketing strategy. With an economy that is still at its weakest point in decades, you’ll not only want to be sure that you cover all the bases. You’ll be thinking very carefully about how you spend your marketing dollars. And, of course, thinking outside of the box and executing a well-orchestrated multi-channel marketing campaign will make all the difference in winning the war for consumer dollars this November and December.

As Gib Bassett advocates in a recent Technoratti article, Moving from Multi-Channel to Cross-Channel, you’ll want to think about using “a cross channel marketing application [that] accounts for multiple digital channels” and “strong individual channel marketing capabilities.” The difference is they are stitched together around a unified customer record and embrace the notion of “channel orchestration.”

So consider the unique needs of different segments of your audience this holiday season and take advantage of the efficiencies and low-cost that highly interactive multi-channel marketing technology can afford you.

Solutions like Trumpia’s All-In-One Multi-Channel Marketing platform can help you conduct a coordinated campaign across SMS and MMS text as well as IM, email, social media sites and voice broadcast and, at the same time, make sure you are communicating with customers in the way they want to be communicated to.

Here are a few ideas for ensuring that your multi-channel marketing strategy and tactics will give you plenty to be jolly about during the 2011 holiday season.

Set up a catalog that is optimized for smart phones and other mobile phones. You can give mobile shoppers the ability to scan your Quick Response (QR) Code on a magazine ad, flyer or poster. Then your customers can automatically link to view and access information about your products. Visualizing the perfect holiday outfit or gift, shoppers can mix and match items and select different accessories and, finally, use the coupon that you’ve sent them to receive a special discount off their purchase the next time they are in your store.

Create a Black Friday Promotion. Thanksgiving will be here sooner than you think and so will Black Friday. This year, competition for consumer dollars will be fiercer than ever before. So, why not advertise with a cross-channel marketing campaign? In early November, several weeks before your Black Friday event, advertise your VIP sale on your Facebook fan page and send out an email to your database that reminds your customers about the event. At the same time, send out a text message that reminds those customers to check out the Facebook page for more information and text your mobile keyword to your shortcode for the special VIP mobile coupon. Then, two weeks before your sales event, send out another email and text reminder – different messages that complement one another.

Host a special VIP event. What better way to create a connection with your customers than making some of the shopping days before Christmas a special event? According to a recent Reuters article, Retailers Scout New Paths in Shaky Times, retailers this holiday season will be doing everything they can to create that connection. “Retailers are having to work really hard to create events and occasions for shoppers to really come out and spend," said Natalie Berg, co-global research director at Planet Retail according to the Reuters article. So how about inviting your very best customers to a holiday open house? You might even think about focusing the event around an activity like a gingerbread house making station for the kids or a massage therapist on site to treat weary shoppers.

Develop an email campaign. Include click to buy links and an invitation to receive a special in-store promotional discount during the holiday buying season for items that are not available online. For maximum impact, why not encourage people to opt-in to receive your text message advertising if they haven’t already opted in to your SMS marketing database. Link them to your Facebook page so they can keep up with your latest news and special holiday promotional events. Don’t waste this opportunity to provide information about the latest trends – so your customers will view you as not just a retailer, but also a valuable information resource.

Record a warm holiday greeting. Wish all the VIP customers on your list a happy holiday season by recording a voice broadcast message. Then, when it’s time for them to do their holiday shopping or, at least, pick up a last minute holiday gift, you will be sure to be at the forefront of their minds. You can forward your recorded holiday greeting via email or text to all your valued customers. You can even use this voice greeting as a way to invite customers to your special holiday shopping events.

Although summer is just winding down, now is not too early to think about your holiday promotions. A well-coordinated and well-executed multi-channel marketing strategy that takes email marketing and mobile text a step further can set your sights on a profitable 2011 holiday season – even in a down economy. All you’ll need is a little creativity and the tools to help you get there.