Big companies pull out all the stops when it comes to their marketing around the holiday season. Flashy TV ads, big sales promotions, aggressive email campaigns… the whole nine yards. As a result, small- to mid-sized companies tend to struggle to be heard. The content marketing strategies that have worked all year can be less effective in the calendar’s last few months.
You may not have the budget to battle the big names. And you might (understandably) have no desire to mimic the outbound marketing aspects of their approach. But, there are steps you can take to amplify your voice and get more attention for your content from your highly distracted audience. These tactics may feel a little counterintuitive, given what you’ve been doing all year, but they can be very effective.
Tips for Getting Noticed During the Holiday Season
While nobody in their right mind would advocate a complete change of course on your content marketing during the holidays, if you feel your message is being drowned out, you might veer away to some degree from your tried and true tactics and experiment with some of these strategies:
Switch your schedule. Your audience has gotten used to hearing from you on certain days of the week and/or at certain times of day. Altering your outreach a little (or a lot) may pique their curiosity.
Give them something unexpected. As kids, we come to see the holidays as a time of joyful surprises. Tap into that feeling by creating some content that has a sense of mystery and wonder. It doesn’t have to be anything big or complicated. Just a small “present” that your eager audience can’t wait to open.
Go with your gut. One of the most powerful features of content marketing is that it is highly measurable. But, sometimes you need to stop looking at the numbers and trust your instincts with the content you create, how you promote it, etc. Again, this isn’t to say you should make wholesale changes to your strategy, but maybe just pay a little extra attention to your intuition.
Let them do the storytelling. Good marketers need to be great storytellers. And generally speaking, it makes sense for you to drive the narrative. However, inviting input from your audience around the holidays is a great way to channel their energy and enthusiasm.
Go minimalist. In the barely controlled chaos that is the holiday season, sometimes consumers and companies just want a break from all the noise. Content that is intentionally subdued may be just what they’re looking for.
Give Yourself a Gift This Year
One of the most effective ways to connect with your audience during the holidays or at any time of year is by leveraging a relationship with a skilled and experienced inbound marketing agency. From getting you set up with a powerful marketing automation platform like HubSpot to collaborating with you on content creation and strategy, our content marketing teams in Colorado Springs, CO, and Springfield, MO, can help you open up the gift of more and better-qualified leads, a larger and more loyal audience, and increased sales. Get in touch today!
