Is it even worth the trouble to publish or promote any content from November 1 – January 1? I’ve mostly seen marketing teams go one of two ways. First, keep pushing out relevant content and accept that the lead flow will slow down. Or second, just phone it in with repurposed content promotions through the holidays.
But there’s a third way. I recommend a fresh approach to Q4 content that can get attention and build rapport, even with prospects who are mentally checked out until year end. Here are five options for holiday content.
1. Show your sense of humor! Your prospects are leaning into a lighthearted holiday mindset, why not join them? One company I worked with recorded a video “greeting card” of employees singing an industry-specific version of the Twelve Days of Christmas. We sounded terrible, it was hilarious, and it was widely shared. Our community saw that we were real people, not sales robots.
2. Recap the previous year. This works best for B2B marketers if the focus is more on your clients’ successes instead of your own. ‘Tis the season to be generous: Highlight some big wins and breakthroughs for them, with a very light nod to how proud you are to have shared in that success.
3. Give an industry summary. With one marketing team we got big attention for our year-end list of annual industry awards that went to a mix of companies, not just our clients. It set us up as the company that defined the industry’s annual highlights. I’d love to see someone have fun with this in a yearbook throwback type of way with “best dressed” video clips from webinars or “most likely to succeed” product announcements.
4. Look ahead to what’s next. Q4 is a great time to tease your product or service roadmap for the coming year. Or to make predictions for your entire industry. One company I supported had great success publishing an annual eBook predicting a handful of big trends for the coming year. It almost doesn’t matter if they materialize or not – the point is to be bold, provide some entertainment, and get people talking.
5. Host an appreciation event. Use the holiday season as an excuse to gather clients, prospects, or industry experts for an in-person or online “thank you” experience. At one company our team hired an online party host for an annual scavenger hut experience. Or include an event with your corporate gift giving – one professional team invited me to an online cookie-decorating event with a boxed set of gingerbread cookies with decorating accessories and hot chocolate mix.
These are just a few ideas I’ve seen work, and I’d love to hear more! What is your team doing for creative holiday content?