The sales period between Black Friday and New Year's Day is one of the busiest for most merchants. For retailers, the upcoming holiday sales season is forecast to increase by 2.7% to $1.093 trillion, according to eMarketer. E-commerce will make up about 18.9% of overall holiday sales.

How can independent agents bolster their brand and boost sales this holiday season? Some creative marketing will help. If you want a slice of the pie, you must plan now for your holiday season marketing.

Here are four ways to drive sales:

1) Plan your social media calendar. Write out the major holidays your target audience celebrates. Your calendar might include themes such as Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve. Once you have an idea of some of the days you want to cover in your social media posts, it's much easier to choose content to share.

Use scheduling software to schedule posts for those days. The holidays are busy, so the sooner you can schedule your social media posts, the more you can focus on your customers. Set it and forget it, unless something comes up that you must inform customers about immediately.

2) Make customers' lives easier. The average consumer spends $997.79 on gifts during the holidays, according to the National Retail Federation. Tap into these trends by offering coverage for home contents, such as jewelry and other major purchases.

You've likely noticed restaurants offering a bonus gift card when you purchase one from them. Shoppers love the perk of getting something extra for their money. A gift card or a discount on their next purchase will show some holiday spirit.

3) Embrace the season. While there may be a few Grinches and Scrooges in the mix, most people adore the holiday season and the traditions that go with it. If you own a brick-and-mortar store, you can create seasonal window displays to draw in customers. Place signs outside the store to greet them and let them know about holiday specials.

4) Tell a story. November and December are excellent months to recap what you've accomplished as a business in the last year. Share a story about something you're proud of. Use the opportunity to embrace a cause and enlist their help.

You could even host a contest and have users share their stories on social media, tagging you for a chance to win a prize. Try to tie the contest into your product, such as a heartwarming story about how their insurance was worth every penny.

One shoe company used a photograph strategy combined with a hashtag and asked people to snap photos of unique places they'd gone while wearing the brand's shoes. People shared the photos and tagged the company, creating buzz and a ton of user-generated content. You could offer a holiday-themed or local community option.

5) Ask. The holidays are filled with opportunities to show the world who you are as a brand. Ask what your customers' pain points are for the holidays and how you can fix problems. Reach out to your most loyal fans and ask them to spread the word.

Eleanor Hecks is the editor-in-chief and design writer at Designerly.