Recently updated on July 30th, 2024 at 05:16 pm
The holiday season is when people are at their happiest, creating a buzz and excitement that drives significant purchasing activity. How can your brand capitalise on this to boost awareness and sales? Join us as we explore the significance of strategically planning your digital marketing campaigns for the festive season.
What is Festive Marketing?
Festive marketing is a tool that brands use to achieve more awareness and engagement, ultimately improving their sales. It can also be viewed as a strategy to personalise offerings to fit specific holidays, seasons, or events.
Think about all the Black Friday campaigns you’ve seen (the specials or deals that appealed to your inner spender), those are examples of campaigns that can be used during the festive season. But it’s not just about the December holidays. There are many times in the year when brands can join the public conversation. Brands also use campaigns for special days like Valentine’s Day, to connect with their audiences in more engaging and exciting ways.
Festive (Seasonal) Marketing vs. Evergreen Marketing
Evergreen marketing is about creating relevant and valuable content for your audience, regardless of season. Think of it like a sturdy oak tree—steady, reliable, and always providing shade. It focuses on timeless topics and long-lasting strategies that continue to attract and engage customers over time.
On the other hand, festive marketing is like the Christmas tree that sits at the corner of your living room in December—bright, exciting, and full of seasonal cheer. This marketing is only relevant for a short period or a season.
Digital Marketing Tactics for the Festive Season
Festive Content
Festive content is like the glitter and sparkle of your digital marketing strategy. It’s all about creating eye-catching visuals and engaging stories that resonate with the festive spirit.
It starts with crafting an attractive story around your marketing objectives. Using vibrant visuals and copy that creates a connection your marketing content can resonate with people in a memorable way. It doesn’t have to be a whole campaign but themed collateral like festive cover photos to set the scene on your social media profiles.
These days no content marketing strategy is complete without adding a series of engaging videos showcasing tips, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your team’s celebrations, or customer testimonials with a festive twist. This tactic can grab attention by tapping into seasonal excitement.
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Giveaways
People love to participate in a giveaway; it’s what makes everyone feel excited and hopeful. The chance to win something for free is always a thrilling experience.
Picture a prize giveaway where consumers could win a holiday gift bundle of your product by sharing their photos or stories featuring your products. This not only engages your existing customers but also encourages them to create and share user-generated content (UGC) – spreading the word to their friends and followers. All while putting your brand at the top of the audience’s mind.
When people engage with and share your content, your audience grows naturally, increasing your reach. This also enhances your profile’s performance when you run paid media campaigns. During the festive season, it’s a fun and effective way to boost visibility and drive engagement.
Online Advertising
By running holiday-themed promotions and discounts, you can entice customers with deals they can’t resist. That’s the whole idea, right? You want to place ads on platforms where your customers are most active so that you’re getting your promotions in front of as many eyes as possible.
Here are a few examples of the types of promotions you can run:
- Vouchers and coupons
- Limited-time offers
- Lifestyle discounts
- Free samples
- Referral discounts
Even running giveaways is an example of a promotion. It is vital to provide the audience with an incentive to participate.
Additionally, remarketing and retargeting play a crucial role in ensuring your message reaches those who’ve shown interest before. These strategies allow you to reach out to people who have already shown interest in your brand, reminding them to continue viewing a product or to view another one. It’s about helping them find what they need.
Stay Ahead by Planning Early
“By Failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin
All marketing campaigns are more effective when you plan them early. The same is true for digital marketing. This includes brainstorming campaign ideas with your team and exploring efficient ways to execute them. You’d also need to find out what your audience’s interests are – which products or services they purchase the most – and how your campaign meets their needs.
By starting early, you ensure your promotions and campaigns are well-timed, avoiding the last-minute rush and making the most of the festive season’s opportunities.
The important thing to remember about your marketing during the festive season is that it’s all about effectively connecting with your audience at its peak, to generate rapid attention and sales. So, don’t wait until the last minute – start planning now to ensure a smooth and successful festive season.
Looking for guidance? We’re here to help you! Get in touch with us to find out more.