Seasonal marketing low on your priority list? Small business owners don’t get enough support, in any month of the year. So at Write Wiser, we decided to make it as easy as possible, by banding together and sharing 12 gifts – easy stocking-fillers for your seasonal marketing.
We’re sharing one tip per day, over 12 days. But, we’re not running it from December 25 to January 6th, because these tips are useful all year round and for all religions and cultures!
If you’re looking for seasonal content writing packages, know that: marketing is for life not just for Christmas! But our founder is offering special deals over the winter season – browse content packages and message us your hopes for your brand and business.
Going it alone? Hats off to you! Here are the tips we recommend for tinsel-covered marketing in winter:
How to run seasonal campaigns and content
1. Start early.
If you want to be included in seasonal PR or marketing opportunities, start planning in December for the upcoming year. Most publications, blogs and magazines post their editorial calendars in Q4. Download their calendars, identify the relevant opportunities, and get your pitch ready. Tell the publications why you should be included in this issue!
PR is free, but you have to put in the effort to be included in holiday roundups or features. The payoff is worth it – the visibility is immense!
Gifted by Karen Nicholas, Corporate Communications Writer
2. Start celebrating the new year now.
Be the first to write X Tips to Do Y in 2024 or Your Guide to Z in 2024 by publishing in September or October. This is SEO candy!
Don't worry about being too early, people should have the foresight to think at least a quarter ahead, before they are too busy with the holiday rush and time off.
Gifted by Jennifer Riggins, Tech Storyteller
3. Customise a special experience to your customers.
Any small thing can go a long way here.
For example, add a note, a card or maybe customise your packaging for the occasion. When people feel special, they share it with others and you get free referrals.
You can do the same with your website. Tweak the design and copy to go with the season. Make your customers feel that spirit!
Gifted by Shanzay Aziz, SEO Blog Writer
4. Include holiday-specific keyword phrases.
If you plan to hold seasonal offers each year, it’s worth trying to position your brand for holiday keywords.
For example: e-commerce companies should begin building long-form content that discusses Easter holiday offers, New Year promotions, Back to school sales, etc. several months before the event – create the content early, post it so that Google crawls it – then share on social media only as you get closer to the event.
Gifted by Nadine Heir, Chief Writing Officer.
5. Target seasonal, high-intent keywords. Don’t stop at seasonal keywords, when writing to attract traffic around the holidays. Use keywords that are high-intent in your blogs, which means the kind of searches someone might make if they were likely to buy your product. An example that applies at New Year for a gym might be a person searching, “New Year strengthbuilding offers” because this suggests true intent to purchase. For a company like Write Wiser based in North America, it might be “Christmas-themed content writing packages” in December. Get the idea? Start researching your high-intent keywords, seasonal or not! But make sure the content relates to these keywords – do not, under any circumstance, stuff keywords that are irrelevant to the content, into your blogs.
6. Create festive campaigns in advance.
For example: Select the items you would want to include in the festive sales. Design and write un-ignoreable marketing copy for these products. Putting effort in your message will help you stand out during the rush of seasonal sales. Make use of the problems, praises and questions your customers had asked to weave a narrative that will benefit your business during seasonalities.
Your advertisements, blogs and social posts should be in accordance with the current holiday season and not a copy paste from two years prior.
Gifted by Samra Junaid, Copywriter
7. Don’t let hemispheres dictate your messaging or visual expression. End-of-year festivities usually revolve around connection, reflection and gatherings, meaning you don’t need to be beholden to the physical season. Many people from the northern hemisphere travel to warmer climtaes during December and January. So don’t be shy to be disruptive with barbeque celebrations of Christmas, or New Year’s Eve on the beach, especially if your audience might have left behind the images by the fire and external snowscapes. After all, when we are holidaying, we go into reflective mode, attempt to connect with new people and places, or plan reunions with family or friends long unseen. When the clock strikes 12 wherever we may be (even in the future in Tonga or New Zealand), we know we are walking into another 365 revolutions around the sun, of dreams and plans for our business. Spring or Autumn, wherever you are, will be the transitional season to start your imaginings of how you wish to celebrate, gather and give thanks at 2023’s end, as well as envision a new year of business joy for 2024 – use them! Gifted by Jane Hardjono, That embodiment writer and book coach.
8. Stay inclusive!
Don’t be like the commercial home stores, going all out for Christmas, and reserve only a small shelf for Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. That’s not inclusivity; that’s simply trying not to get cancelled.
3 easy ways to be inclusive:
1. Expand your holiday colours to more than just red and green.
2. Say ‘Happy Holidays’ instead of ‘Merry Christmas’ or wish people a ‘Happy X,’ filling in the holiday names on the appropriate date.
3. Avoid selling products and services that promote Christmas only. You CAN sell Christmas products, but incorporate additional products and services that embrace other cultures – or keep it holiday neutral!
By expanding your holiday marketing, you’re expanding your participating audience. It’s a win-win!
Gifted by Laura-Ray Read, Storyteller and Content Writer
9. Don’t forget the holidays aren’t for everyone.
Whether it be Christmas, New Years, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, there's a good chance a significant portion of your audience won’t be celebrating anything. Life hits 24/7 - plan your campaign with that in mind: people without families, rough times befalling friends, or groups simply wanting to extend summer.
Bonus: Share some holiday generosity without asking for anything in turn. Add a free gift or include a free trial period. Let them know it’s on the house with a genuine message showing them they’re thought of and appreciated by your brand.
Gifted by Amara Murphy, Copywriter and Ghostwriter
10. Make the most of this opportunity to connect with your audience.
The magic of the holiday season lies in human connection. When your audience, clients, and customers are scrolling their feeds or checking their email between family activities, they won’t be as interested in what a brand has to say. They’ll want to hear from humans.
Create content that makes readers feel something to make it worth their time. Share a warm message from the founder, remind them of their childhood, or make them laugh. Many of us get the warm-and-fuzzies this time of year — lean into that feeling.
Also, remember to bring the spirit of the holidays into all of your marketing channels. Little touches, like fun out-of-office emails, go a long way!
Gifted by Rachel Ciervo, Website Copywriter
11. Build excitement with exclusive content and promotions.
Holidays are a great time to get your audience excited. Use things like virtual advent calendars with exclusive promotions, giveaways, and value-packed content to get your audience to engage with you and celebrate the holidays with you!
Make sure you are only including things that your audience would truly value. You want your audience to be excited to see your content every day.
Gifted by Becca Rose, Copywriter
12. Don’t stop when Santa comes! Did you miss out on following these tips for Hanukkah, Ōmisoka, or New Year? The great news is that this advice is evergreen. You can start preparing your business and online presence today for Easter, Mayday, Valentine’s or even the next solstice if you believe the wise writers about how early to start!
Hire a hand for seasonal writing and marketing
Keen to start the New Year with aspirational targets and lofty goals? All the writers who gifted us these tips are dedicated to the trade, year-round! You don’t have to do the heavy lifting alone. Follow them and investigate their styles.
Still at a loss? Book a consultation on writing, marketing, or hiring vetted writers. You’ll find that your small business can access affordable business advice.
Happy winter holidays!
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