There is a strong focus on multi-platform content marketing throughout the year. It is a great way to build rapport with customers. There are many benefits from increased opportunities with premium SEO services and online presence. It can drive lead generation and other conversions. The holiday season is a great time to step up your game, and focus your content marketing strategy.
Take advantage of holiday themes and messaging to gain attention. Promote your business across multiple platforms, such as your website, blog, and social media accounts. Appeal to people’s emotions prevalent during the holiday season. Post feel-good pieces. Promote charitable collaborations. Highlight community happenings. These are all great ways to connect with your audience, and increase engagement.
When it comes to crafting your holiday content marketing strategy, you will want to avoid common issues. Do all you can to offer the value your customers expect. Here are a few dos and don’ts to put you on track for holiday marketing success.
DO:
Update Content
The holidays are a busy time of year for consumers and business owners. If there is only time to pen a few new and useful holiday posts. Consider updating your content, to reflect new information and trends.
Repurposing older holiday-centric content saves a lot of time. It also delivers value to current customers, and entices new followers. Choose favorite content from your catalog of previous posts, to ensure the greatest response.
Add Value
There are many ways to enhance customer experience during the holiday season.Retailers usually decorate their brick-and-mortar locations. You can also temporarily re-brand your online platforms with custom website design. The primary goal of content marketing is to add value for customers, preferably with no strings attached. It is a way to build lasting relationships, promote loyalty, and increase your brand’s awareness.
Think about what your target audience wants and needs. What are common problems during the holiday season that you can solve with your provided content? Doing things such as offering tips on stress reduction, shopping efficiently, or preparing to host house guests, is fairly par for the course. However, you need to find new ways to relate holiday-themed content to your own industry, operation, or products and services.
Promote Useful Products/Services
As part of your holiday content marketing strategy, consider working business promotions in without necessarily pushing a sales agenda. The best option is in trying to relate your brand or products to holiday themes, events, and sentiments.
If you sell baking supplies, one idea is giving away favorite holiday recipes in which your products would be a good fit. Include photos featuring your products used for holiday recipes. Perhaps you own a cleaning business. Your content could highlight the many benefits of hiring help to keep your house spick-and-span for visiting family and friends, during the busy season.
DON’T:
Hard Sell
Nobody likes the feeling of being bombarded and browbeaten by advertising. If this is how your content comes across, you are not likely to retain followers, or encourage feelings of mutual admiration. Your content marketing strategy should proceed with the intention of building brand awareness, in accordance with observing holiday themes, such as family, charity, or religious celebrations.
Go for Gimmicks
It is all too easy to give in to kitsch when it comes to holiday content marketing. This can display a whimsical, fun-loving attitude that many followers may find endearing. However, it can also go overboard, veering into cheesy or tasteless territory. This could end up turning people off.
Do you remember the Kmart ad from a couple of years ago? The ad featured men, wearing holiday boxers, as a handbell choir, shaking their boxers in time to “Jingle Bells”. Some people found it funny, others thought it was bizarre. The overtly sexual display offended many consumers.
These are not reactions your business wants to generate from advertising. It is best to keep it classy and stay on message. Promote holiday-themed content that is more educational or entertaining, instead of gimmicky.
Neglect Follow-up
Marketing service professionals advise launching a holiday content marketing campaign as only the beginning. From there track response, analyze data, and spot problem areas. Adjust and engage in appropriate follow-up to see the greatest returns from your efforts.