Holiday Marketing Now That the Holidays Are Over

Now that you’ve survived the holidays, you’re probably happy to see the back end of all the glitter, confetti and other holiday trappings that have bombarded your senses over the past few months. It’s time to get back to business as usual, right?

Well, not so fast...

While it’s true that Christmas and New Year’s have come and gone, there are still plenty of other holidays. All you need to take advantage of them for your marketing is a calendar and a creative streak. February, for example, has another important holiday in Valentine's Day, and there are plenty of others. There’s Groundhog Day on February 2nd, World Cancer Day on February 4th and President's Day on the 20th of the month. If that isn't enough, February is also Black History Month, American Heart Month, Canned Food Month and Great American Pie Month - a cornucopia of choices for your marketing creativity!

Size doesn’t matter

The small, often unnoticed, holidays during the winter and early spring months can be great choices. Why not? It’s cold and dreary in many parts of the world, there are no major holidays until Memorial Day, and who doesn’t love a good festival? The object of the game is to increase sales. By taking advantage of holidays, you can keep your name in the back of your customer’s mind and help generate good will, two key components to selling.

Celebrate with your staff

Celebrating holidays can also help your business internally. Whether you have a staff or you’re a one-person show, holidays are a chance to unwind and have a little fun. They can add a little spark to an otherwise dull parade of cold winter days. Even a few emails, a festive setting on a table (virtual or otherwise) or a few decorations can provide benefits in terms of increased focus and higher morale.

Map it first

When planning your marketing campaign, map it out it early so that you, your staff and your marketing team are on the same page. That way you’ll get a unified, focused message across all your communication channels. Keep the message simple, so it’s easily shareable on social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter.

Know your market

Do some research on your chosen holiday. What types of people are likely to celebrate this holiday, and what emotions might they be feeling? While we like to think of ourselves as rational beings, we’re also powerfully driven by emotion. Take advantage of that with your holiday marketing so that the feelings you evoke in your campaign match those of the holiday.

Most importantly, have some fun and be creative. Many holidays, both large and small, are celebrations after all.