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Sure every small business owner on Main Street and beyond knows that tapping into the shopping “season” that starts in November and leads up to Christmas is a no brainer, and is something you’ve probably already got in place. The reality is everyone’s doing it and your promotion is probably not going to stand out against anyone else’s. But what about the rest of the year? There are events and holidays year-round that you can tap into and stand out and grab the attention of prospects and customers.
That’s why I want to share an article below from Wordtracker about how your small business can tap into the power of events and holidays in your marketing.
Think about all the holidays that fall throughout the year – even ones that aren’t typically associated with shopping as Christmas is. Don’t forget major events: Super Bowl, Stanley Cup and other sporting events; Award Season in Hollywood (GRAMMYs etc.); season changes, and so on. The list is endless!
Tip: If you really want to get creative, google “little known holidays” or “special days of the year”. You’ll find everything from Donut Day to National Double Check Your Clocks Day, so have some fun promoting those!
Find a way to connect with your audience over those special days and you are increasing your chance of making a sale, while also creating an impression that lasts long-term and pays future dividends.
Every content marketer should start with an Editorial Calendar. You can outline not only the major holidays but also any social events and pop culture tie-ins that you want to use to your advantage.
Tip: Remember who your target audience is. My Editorial Calendar is based on US, Canadian, Australian and UK holidays and events, because that’s where my audience lives. You should also think about the holidays of different religions and cultural events.
Coca-Cola: In 2011, Coke launched a “Shake Up Christmas” campaign. Do you remember it? In the video Santa shook a snow globe which contained the real world and as a result, people and things shook and slid all over the place. It was funny, cute and memorable.
Christmas Campaign Idea: If somebody mentions something that you stock in a social media post, contact them, let them know you offer it, and offer them a special limited time coupon code. Use a unique hashtag and get some exposure for your random discount giving.
Tesco: A British company came up with “Find the Eggs“, an online Easter egg hunt which used Google Street View technology to allow players to explore their streets to find virtual Easter eggs. Thousands of eggs were hidden. This isn’t online anymore but was a lot of fun.
Walmart: They created a mobile phone game, where the player taps at eggs that pop out of the ground, while avoiding the bunnies. When the game ends, the user is prompted to check out Walmart’s amazing candy deals on their online store.
Easter Campaign Idea: Create a “scavenger hunt” on your site – hide images or words on the site and have visitors search for it and use hashtags to post the location when they find the items.
Baileys: They created a fun campaign on St. Paddy’s day to remind consumers that Baileys is an Irish drink meant just for such celebrations. Bailey’s was up against beer for St. Paddy’s Day “Drink Title”. They created a Facebook app which let fans create a cute profile photo with “Kiss Me I’m Irish (and so is my Baileys!).” After sharing their spiffy new profile pic on Facebook, they were entered to win a Baileys “Kiss Me I’m Irish” t-shirt!
President’s Day: You could choose a particular President and do something for which that President is known. Want to celebrate Reagan? Include a free bag of jelly beans with every order. Want to celebrate Obama? Create a virtual basketball hoop and when people make a shot, they win a certain discount. Ask people to submit videos of their best Presidential imitations and parodies. The best one wins a prize.
New Year: Ask your audience to post their resolutions and award the most ambitious resolution a prize. Turn it into a long-term campaign and pick someone to follow to ensure they follow through on their resolution. You give someone the spotlight and they’ll help you create more exposure for your brand.
Boxing Day: In Canada, Boxing Day is much like Black Friday – tons of blow-out sales. Online you may want to do more than slash prices. Look to the origins of the holiday (it exists in so many countries and there are varying stories on what it stands for) and create something fun. The two most common stories I’ve heard are:
Ask people to create their own origin story for Boxing Day. Or ask people what they would include in a Christmas Box. Include a free Christmas Box with every order. Ask people what they pack up first, and maybe even put out a series of images and text posts with tips to help people more quickly and efficiently get through the unpleasant task of boxing up their Christmas cheer.
You get the idea, right? Have fun with it and see what you can come up with!
Ready for some more ideas and tips?
Holidays are the perfect time to create fresh new content – it doesn’t have to be a contest or give-away.
Some ideas for holiday content:
Not a simple question, since it depends on your target audience and the content you’re looking to promote. The most successful online promotions for holidays, events, or even festivals work best when you include all the social networks. All of the networks have some pretty compelling stats when it comes to social media influencing purchases.
Social Stats
Countdown to holidays or events with a contest and daily prize. Remington used its Facebook page to launch a 12-day advent calendar before Christmas. Each day, users visited the page to reveal the day’s giveaway and enter to win.
Holiday marketing makes sense for so many reasons and it’s a chance to have some fun and really connect with your audience online. I leave you with two tips…
Stacey Riska, aka "Small Business Stacey" is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about saving small - and not so small - businesses one marketing plan at a time. She helps business owners become a #SmallBizMarketingWiz by teaching them marketing strategies that get MORE: MORE leads, MORE customers/clients/patients, MORE sales, and MORE profit. Stacey's in-demand "Small Biz Marketing Success Coaching and Mastermind Program" is transforming the businesses - and lives - of those who want wealth, freedom, and market domination. Her highly acclaimed book "Small Business Marketing Made EZ" lays out the 6-simple-step plan to get your marketing into ACTION - literally and figuratively. Stacey is also the creator of Cups To Gallons, the place where independent coffee, smoothie, juice bar, ice cream, dessert and snack shop owners go to learn how get into lucrative catering so they stop selling by the cup and start selling by the gallon. In this program she teaches from experience, as it was the key strategy that transformed her coffee and smoothie business from being $500K in debt to a 7-figure profitable business. When not saving the small business world, she enjoys sipping red wine, eating chocolate (who doesn't!) and spending time with her amazing husband.
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