Maximizing Content for the Holidays

By: Colleen Ryan, Account Manager at Constant Content Holidays are pivotal times of the year for most businesses. But increasing sales during these higher-spending periods won’t just magically happen. Your marketing, especially your content marketing, needs to be ready to leverage these critical and competitive times of the year. A Great Opportunity Content always works best when it’s aligned with the mindset of potential customers. As different holidays get closer, your potential customers’ habits and search queries will likely be increasingly related to the upcoming holiday. Therefore, if you can create unique, relevant and compelling content that speaks to people’s interests and grabs their attention during this time, you’ll be well positioned to develop interest, foster brand loyalty and increase sales. Content marketing is about developing relationships with your consumer base. The holidays are often a busy and stressful time full of decisions about gifts, cooking, travelling, parties and more. Understandably, people are looking for solutions to their holiday challenges or distracting and entertaining stories with familiar and emotional themes relating to the upcoming holiday. How to Make Content During the Holidays Effective Simply creating messages focused on holiday subjects is not necessarily creating good holiday content. However, it is extremely important to understand the qualities that contribute to effective holiday content marketing. Good holiday marketing will always: Be seasonal and timely Evoke positive emotions Be whimsical, imaginative and engaging Not be an obvious play for sales In addition, it is also important for your content to: Have a personal twist for your target customers Be where your potential customers are Provide an answer to holiday challenges Reinforce your brand’s values Examples of people doing it well The following are a few examples of companies who have followed these simple steps to creating engaging and effective holiday marketing campaigns. Butterball- Turkey Talk Hotline What is it? Around the holidays, butterball promotes their Turkey Talk Hotline which connects users to professional chefs and turkey experts to help with any and all of their turkey questions. Why is it great? Because it answers customer’s holiday needs, generates customer feedback, is not an obvious play for sales, develops relationships and creates positive brand sentiment. Air Canada- #ACGiftofHome What is it? Air Canada promoted their service by providing Canadians abroad a round trip home for the holidays. They recorded pilots giving the tickets out in a bar in London and promoted it throughout the holidays. Why is it great? Because it generated mass amounts of interest and positive sentiment, played to consumer’s emotions, had a personal element and reinforced the service they provide. Anthropologie- DIY What is it? On their blog, Anthropologie has a DIY tab where they provide instructional â€Å"how-to’s† addressing customer’s holiday needs. They have guides for things like â€Å"The Girlfriends’ Guide to Gift Giving†, â€Å"Nearest and Dearest Gift Picks† and â€Å"Homemade for the Holidays: DIY Star Ornaments.† Why is it great? It addresses consumer’s holiday needs, provides a space for user generated content, elicits feedback and is highly engaging. What to remember Holiday marketing, and content marketing in general, should not be about directly generating sales; it should be about developing positive brand sentiments and customer interest. To create effective holiday content, make sure to focus on finding answers to your consumer’s holiday needs and attempt to develop positive associations through emotion based content.