The fireworks that will be illuminating tonight’s sky signal an important date in every marketer’s diary. It’s time to start building some excitement, planning some memorable campaigns and send the year off with a bang. November is the time of year where your seasonal marketing campaign should be gearing up. Christmas will soon be upon us, offering a unique chance for your business to tap into the festive excitement and generate more sales.
A good seasonal marketing campaign is much like a fireworks display. It should be well-organised, eye-catching and end with a bang. We’re going to share with you a few of our top tips to help you put together a successful strategy this holiday season.
Plan A Grand Display With Eye-Catching Visuals
Winter marketing is usually highly visual, incorporating seasonal motifs such as sparkles, presents and Santa references. Depending on your brand’s palette, you could adapt your logos to bring in some more subtle holiday elements. If that won’t work, a festive animation or graphic on your website that complements your branding will do just the trick!
Think about how you can blend some typical Christmas imagery with your branding. The festive season is an opportunity to be a bit outrageous with your designs. The majority of audiences are very accepting of Christmas visuals – just remember that tacky might be fine, but tasteless is not. Make sure your advertising is suitable for a wide audience and doesn’t contain offensive material.
With a solid plan to back your holiday marketing plan, make sure that this is rolled out on all the platforms your company uses. This ensures there is consistency in your marketing and that your audience are reached no matter how they choose to connect with you.
Timing Is Key
Once you’ve decided what your marketing campaign is going to look like, you’ll need to make a plan of action. Define the goals of your campaign and consult your calendar to find key dates. Use November to build anticipation with teasers, sneak peeks or earlybird offers. Once it gets to December, you can up the ante and count down to Christmas.
Key dates to keep in mind include:
- Black Friday
- Cyber Monday
- Last-minute Christmas deals
- Boxing Day deals
- New Year deals
Ensure you’re posting relevant content that aligns with your goals, and try to be consistent as you build towards the peak of your campaign. If appropriate, consider developing a narrative that your marketing strategy can follow throughout the festive season. For example, you could follow the 12 days of Christmas and develop a story that unfolds throughout those days.
Spark Interest With Seasonal Promotions
It’s no secret that audiences love to feel like they’ve got a good deal. In the lead-up to Christmas, offer a timed discount or deal to encourage your audience to spend. By setting a deadline before Christmas, you’re creating a sense of urgency as well as incorporating some festive cheer into your marketing campaign.
Between now and Christmas, create some anticipation by offering a ‘sneak peek’ into what offers your company will be sharing. You could share a teaser and ask your followers to share it to increase the organic reach of your campaign. By providing a small incentive such as entry into a raffle, you can encourage your audience to participate in your company’s marketing without a huge upfront investment.
Leave A Lasting Impression
A good fireworks display will have an impressive finale that ends the show on a high note. Your seasonal marketing campaign should be no different!
Wrap up your seasonal strategy with something truly special. This could be a too-good-to-refuse offer, a flash sale or even just a very heartfelt ‘thank you’ to your loyal customers! If choosing the latter, you could incorporate words from your customers such as their glowing reviews or even comments they’ve made on your social media posts.
As the festive season is all about coming together with friends and family, we think it’s nice to sign off your campaign with a personal touch. Consider sharing a picture of your team looking happy and thankful, and add a few words to go with it that show how great of a year you’ve had and how grateful you are to have such wonderful customers. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious, why not create a video or reel that summarises your year?
Start Planning Your Seasonal Marketing Campaign Now
Are you ready to make your seasonal marketing campaign shine? Don’t delay any longer! The time to act is now. Get in touch with our team today if you’d like some help putting together an effective strategy that goes off with a bang.
Written by Alice Farley
