3 Reasons to Invest in Content Marketing for the Holidays

Ashton Tuckerman

October 16, 2019   Follow
Tag icon

Acquisition

before-1
after

“All I want for Christmas are some highly engaged leads,” you say? Save yourself a call to the big man in red and treat yourself to the gift of great content this festive season. 

At crunch time when demand is waning, it’s easy to favour aggressive product offers to snap up sales; but clever holiday marketing tapping into your customers’ ‘off-the-clock’ mindset can put you in strong stead for the year ahead.

Some of the teams we’ve spoken to forecast 50% down in December and January across the board, from qualified leads all the way through to closed deals.

Instead of filling your stocking, let’s think about filling your pipeline with fresh, upper-funnel leads, ready to be warmed up in the New Year. 

Let’s unwrap on content marketing during the holidays - the gift that keeps on giving.

1. You can capitalise on those resolutions

The B2B buying cycle can be a slow-burn as it is, and the holidays are when everyone is in a ‘mulling it over’ mindset, unlikely to make any big commitments until next year. 

Customers are reflecting on the year gone and the months ahead, so it’s the perfect time to position your brand as the right fit and keep that consideration nice and toasty warm. 

What are you telling your customers NOW to keep your brand top-of-mind for all the new things the new year brings?

While they might not be in a mindset to buy, they’re doing their research, ready to hear about who you are and all the problems your brand can solve.

Think about crafting content that answers your customers’ initial questions, like...

  • Customer stories / testimonials showcasing your product’s real results  
  • A video / social series with experts from your team answering FAQs 
  • An eBook / playbook on success in 2020 (and how your brand can unlock it. wink.)

2. It’ll give your brand a strong start 

New decade, new decisions! Marketing in 2020 may not look too different just yet, but it does have us thinking about what the next decade will bring. 

Being smart over the silly season means you can roll into the new year with a list of leads who are ready to be nurtured after engaging with content you’ve had running in the background over the break (just be sure to set that expectation for follow-up comms timing once they sign up).

Holiday content ideas aren’t limited to standard season’s greetings or putting a Santa hat on your brand logo (though that one’s always a nice touch). Think about these key themes:

  • Paying it forward: what does your brand do to give back to the community or charities? This is the perfect time to share those stories or even donate on behalf of your customer, reminding them of your company values.
  • Sharing is caring: if you’re sending a thoughtful gift to your customers, include a little note to encourage them to snap and share with their social networks. That’s user-generated content you can re-share on your own channels!
  • Thinking it over: the holidays are a rare chance for business owners to stop and think. What useful information can you share with your customer for a little holiday reading, to get them thinking about YOUR product?’

3. It’s a chance to thank your customers

The Christmas / New Year break is the perfect time to thank your customers for their business over the past year. 

Saying thanks is one of the most valuable (and cost effective!) tools for building a positive customer experience and brand loyalty. 

Saying a heartfelt thanks doesn’t just show you care, it also has the power to…

  • Turn active customers into advocates, talking about your brand to their friends and family over the holidays (did someone say REFERRAL?);
  • Keep your brand top-of-mind with new leads in the new year; and
  • Re-open conversations with cold or churned customers from the year gone.

There are plenty of ways to say thank you, too, whether it’s a personalised email blast, a fun and festive video from your team, or a clever social campaign targeted to your website visitors to surprise them as they scroll. 

 

Shawny Shawn Shawn

Optimise your content

Keep your brand working hard over the holidays with a strong content strategy to keep those leads flowing.

Tell me more
yc-down-arrow-icon
Want to read more?