In the current world where every single person is a consumer in one market or another, there are countless messages bombarding us at every turn. Especially during the holiday season, happy holiday messages and Christmas greetings run rampant. Although the holidays are an opportune time for increasing sales and ROI, they are also the differentiator between companies that can excel under the holiday pressure, and those that cannot.
When they are overused or done poorly, holiday marketing campaigns and SEO marketing for the holidays can actually work against the success of your growing business. Below are a few Christmas card and holiday greeting marketing mistakes that do more to actually hurt your business than to help it. Read on, because we can’t wait to help you make this holiday season your most successful to date.
Overusing Stock Photos
We get it. When you need an image, and quickly, it’s easy to resort to stock photos to try and bring some creativity and vibrancy to your piece. Websites like Pexels make it easy to find and use free stock photos (which is awesome) since they hold the licensure for the photos offered. The catch: every company and individual has access to these photos, just like you do, which means the same images will circulate countless sites and pieces. By using the same photos for your content, you are actually forcing your site/content to do the opposite of standing out: you are becoming one of many.
Although visual content can be an awesome way to create dynamic engagement and add variation to your pages or posts, these images need to be chosen thoughtfully. Not only do images speak loudly about your brand and mission (remember the phrase, “pictures are worth a thousand words”), but they are your opportunity to bring authenticity where many other businesses are bringing the same images. Don’t waste it!
Sending Standard Christmas Cards
As unique as we all like to think we are, there are only so many ways to say “happy holidays” to clients. Although there are popular ways to avoid this norm (financial gifts, teaming up with charities, etc.), thought needs to go into the kind of happy holiday message you want to send. Forbes recommends trying something unique, like sending New Years greetings, instead.
This way, you have a chance to encourage your customers with all the new and exciting things you’ll be rolling out in the months to come, and you can also thank them for their commitment over the past year. If you still want to send a happy holidays message to your customers, check out this article by Small Business Trends for some the best do’s and don’ts.
Not Tracking Your Holiday Posting Engagement
Hidden SEO holiday marketing tip: holiday posts are essential to your social media marketing plans. Although every content writer cringes at the idea of producing holiday “fluff” pieces, holiday posts and lighter content can be the most impactful content you post. Maximize Social Business outlines that it is imperative to post your holiday greetings because:
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Holiday posts are simple to write
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Holiday posts are relatable and have a wide appeal
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Holiday posts are relevant during that time of year (duh)
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Holiday posts are easy to share and promote
Since these posts are so generally attractive to your followers, tracking them can give you a fairly accurate video of your engagement and conversion, and show you areas for potential improvement. Check out our best tips for engagement marketing, and get tracking!
Forgetting “Smaller” Winter Holidays
Although Christmas is by far one of the most highly celebrated winter holidays, other religions have celebrations happening around that same time. Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, and many other celebrated holidays are often overlooked due to Christmas’ popularity and hype. By making your marketing more inclusive, and recognizing these other holidays, you will make your brand more appealing to a wider base.
Another approach to widening the Christmas holiday season is choosing to recognize that many people celebrate Christmas non-religiously, even though the holiday has religious origins. Instead, bring to light aspects of the holiday that can stand apart from religion, like the food, family traditions, decorations, and more. By working to make your brand attractive to as wide a customer base as possible, you will only increase your traffic and conversion.
Get a Start on Your Corporate Holiday Messaging!
Now that you know why your corporate holiday messaging is not as successful as you wish it could be, it’s time to start creating holiday greetings and messaging that make an impact. Check out our SEO marketing tips for the holidays to learn how to create content that converts during the winter season. Or, contact Snap, and let us help you make this holiday season your season of growth.