OK, let’s kick things off with a confession - here at Method we love Christmas.
Yes, Christmas is fun and in the run-up to the big day, at our Worcester HQ, we’ll be bopping around the studio to all the old Christmas hits as well as modelling some tasteful Christmas jumpers (including a much-loved Star Wars Christmas t-shirt, by one particular team member!).
We also love Christmas because, for lead-generation marketers, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. What’s more, you don’t have to sell Christmas items to be able to capitalise on the hectic pre-festive season.
Here are a few ideas to help make the most of your marketing in December.
We think yule love them!
1: Add the Christmas trimmings
Even if you’re a B2B business or an online retailer, it’s easy to add some seasonal sparkle into your marketing mix with some cool graphics. You could update your existing online images with Xmas themes or simply drape a bit of tinsel across your standard logo.
Are your brand colours usually green and white? Well why not go for red and white during December?
It’s all about having fun and catching an eye.
2: Boost the brochure
Do you send out a promotional brochure to your potential clients? Why not send them an Advent calendar instead? You can have fun with this, deciding what your prospects will get, each time they open a little window.
And keeping with the Advent calendar idea, you could also run a series of special offers with one for each day in December, right up to the 25th.
3: Put something nice in their stocking
Sending your potential clients a nice freebie such as a special pre-Christmas gift will make you memorable. A branded and personalised packet of seeds for a company seeking to ‘grow’ in 2020 may be a nice example. Include also, prompts to encourage your prospects to come back to you and get connected.
4: Say thank you
You may also thank your existing clients for their support during the last year. This could simply be a stylish ‘thank you’ Christmas card, but do make sure that this includes an attractive New Year offer, to enable you to up-sell or extend your relationship.
5: Keep the conversation sparkling
How about running an online Xmas quiz? Keep it brief and simple. Multiple choice quizzes especially, can easily be filled in online and returned with just a few clicks.
Posting a quiz may make a nice change from sharing your usual blog or e-shot and if you go for something that’s fun, but with a business focus, you may get a high level of engagement.
6: Give them food for thought
Will you be tucking into turkey or nut roast this year? Food and drink are a very important part of the Christmas break for many of us but you can also give your prospects some food for thought.
Blogs and posts with titles such as ‘Five things to think about over Xmas to boost your New Year business’ may strike a note, as may, ‘Five great business websites to read/ videos to watch during the holidays.’
7: Invite a charity/community donation or sponsorship
There are many UK themed charities and community groups that do wonderful work, especially at this time of the year.
You could put together a seasonal fundraising plan for your chosen charity or organisation or you could simply send people a link to a giving website - along with a message such as, ‘We are pleased to be supporting this fantastic project during December - find out more here’.
Here at Method, by the way, we support our local children development football club; Perdiswell Colts. This great organisation is all run by volunteers to give kids a chance to play football, right across a number of age groups.
Not only do we provide all our growth marketing services for free, but we also sponsored a team; providing home and away kits (and in particular, some thermals to keep them warm this Christmas!)
8: Give an Xmas app
Apps are so cheap to make these days so why not run a special mobile app during the pre-Christmas period? You could promote discounts and price offers or even give away free games.
Don’t forget to benefit from all the target marketing tools and notifications that will be included in your app package.
9: Throw a party
Why not throw a ‘thank you at Christmas’ drinks (or coffee and cake) party for your clients?
Try to do this at a time and location that works well for the highest number of people. It could take place at your HQ or at a hired venue, and the end of the day commute (perhaps 4.30pm to 7pm) is always a good time for this type of thing.
This may go down very well with your clients because they’ll get to meet all your other clients, so it will be a nice networking event with a relaxed atmosphere.
10: Have fun yourself
Let everyone know what you’re up to.
Dressing up for the Christmas party or decorating the office? Don’t forget to post and share some of your fun pics too.
Why not get involved with Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day on Friday 13th December, we'll certainly be using it as an excuse to put ours on!
