The Rookie Mistake Businesses Make in the Holidays

The upcoming December break is often considered to be a period in marketing where we slow our content creation and distribution.  

We assume that because we are winding down our year, that our content should too.

Practically, it makes sense. 

Business priorities are shifting, your team is booking their leave and the popular holiday and New Year's parties are taking center stage - once the festive season begins, it's hard to stay focused.  

Over this period, some brands tell themselves that their customers have already checked-out or are too busy with non-work related projects to actively consume content marketing collateral.  

But is that really true? 

No.

It's not true.

Over the past 7 years we have consistently got the best engagement on our social media marketing campaigns for our clients during December.

It's not just us.

Our clients are the same.

LinkedIn has also released a ton of research that backs this up.

Engagement is 32% higher in December.

32%.

That is a lot higher guys...

A lot.

You might be thinking,

Everybody's away, nothing happens during the holidays so we will pause our marketing.

So here's what interesting.

Not only are people MORE active on social media when they have MORE time on their hands, BUT all your competitors STOP marketing too.

That's right, no competition.

I don't mean to state the obvious but....

Reaching leads before your competitors makes it a lot easier to close deals.

Time to amp up your social media I say.

Now I know what you are thinking.

You're probably wondering, can this get any better?

Yes, it does.

A lot of key decision makers are workaholics.

If you have a really strong value prop, they just might be more interested in hearing it than during any other time of year.

Punchline -

You have a higher chance of reaching high-value prospects during December than any other month of the year.

Now let's factor in technology.

Even if your prospects are traveling and vacationing away from work, their mobile devices keep them linked to the office.

The trend is your friend.

Could it be true that some marketers budget expire on December the 31st and they may need to spend some cash!

Projects can be up against year-end deadlines, and buying decisions are often still being made as a fiscal year draws to a close.

Would you think of shutting down your website over Christmas break?

Of course not.

Prospects may still be researching purchases during the holidays.

Here are my top 3 tips for your B2B holiday marketing plans.

Tip #1: Give - after all, it's the season of giving! 😀

The holiday season is a time to remind ourselves that we should be helping others more, so share that thought and your efforts with your audience.

Prepare a special holiday eBook and encourage downloads by saying you will offer 100 dollars for every 100 downloads.

Or create a special hashtag and promise you will donate 1 dollar for each shared tweet that contains such hashtag.

Tip #2: Fill Your Sales Pipeline via LinkedIn 📩 ☺️ 

Sending a personalized, heart-felt message this time of year can be a great way to kick start your relationship building efforts in the New Year. 

Do craft your message with care and add a dash of personal touch!

Tip #3: Add Value With Content 👍

The general rule for content marketing – be it blog posts or social media posts – is that 80% of your content should add value and only 20% should be about promoting your business, services or products.

Summary

Businesses who stop marketing during the holidays are making a ROOKIE error.

It's a big mistake!

Audiences do engage with content, but often in a more inquisitive way in their downtime.

Their intent to purchase may have slowed, but their intent to research, using news, trends and information increases.

When you start the year strong, it sets the tone for the rest of the year.

Wishing you a successful last couple of months to the year.

Thank you for your attention.

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