The holidays are nearly upon us, and while you may be most excited for holiday celebrations with friends and family, your business’s content calendar may not be on track. With Halloween kicking off Thanksgiving – and Thanksgiving leading directly to Black Friday, Chanukah, Christmas, and New Year’s – online traffic surges. If your holiday content isn’t keeping up, you could be missing out on significant business. With a bit of planning, you can help your business reap the rewards of this most fruitful season, and you may even find time to pencil in a few holiday festivities of your own.
Trends Matter
If you’ve been in business a while, you likely have a feel for what the holidays generally look like. If you’re just starting out, however, you may not know what to expect. Paying attention to business trends is an important tool when it comes to creating holiday content. If your business is in its early years, check around online and get a feel for what comparable businesses are expecting this year. Put this knowledge to good use by allowing it to guide your content strategies.
Research confirms what business owners know – that mobile shopping and mobile app usage rise significantly during the holiday season, and that consumers are looking for bargains. The holidays and gifts just go together, and Black Friday fever leaves everyone hungry for deals. This mindset, coupled with the hope of saving time and avoiding inconvenience, leads shoppers to their phones and tablets to take care of business.
This holiday shopping trend should guide your content strategy, but what does it mean for you? For example:
- Have you showcased your sweetest deals?
- Are your articles inviting, warm, and optimized for mobile search?
- Have you considered creating a holiday gift guide that highlights your wares?
The holidays mean many things to many businesses, but if you stay on top of the trends and apply them to your holiday content, you’ll be well on your way to making the most of the upcoming season.
Ask the Right Questions
While following basic trends is important, it is also important to know your audience. Your customers are a goldmine when it comes to optimizing your holiday content. Ask them what they’re looking for this holiday season. A survey with some basic questions can provide you with a solid roadmap forward. Such questions can include:
- What is your #1 priority for the holidays?
- What are your holiday plans?
- Do you have a favorite holiday memory?
- What are you most excited about this holiday season?
- How can my business help you make the most of your holidays?
The responses you receive can provide you with invaluable information regarding the focus of your holiday content, and your survey can double as a mechanism for letting your fan base know that your holiday offerings are on their way.
Audit Accordingly
You no doubt already have content, so before you head off in a totally new direction, audit what you have on offer. Is it pertinent, well-thought-out, and inviting? Do you like what you see, or is it time for some fresh content? If you have holiday content from years gone by, you may want to polish and update it, or you may want to create something totally new – a content reboot.
In your auditing efforts, keep the following factors in mind:
- Is there something on-trend that you want to highlight?
- The holidays are universally exciting and universally stressful. Your customers are looking for guidance, and a 2019 Holiday Survival Guide or Best of the Best Gift Guide may be just the ticket.
- Don’t forget to include internal links to existing content – to keep traffic flowing throughout your website.
Ready, Set, Plan
Once you’ve done the legwork, you can get down to the business of planning your content. The holidays are no time for restraint, and you might even want to let your hair down a bit, content-wise. It is the holidays, after all, and excess is generally accepted, if not expected. If search engine optimization is part of your plan, now’s the time to go with that. Don’t forget about other marketing channels, including social media, email marketing, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and more.
Now is your chance to brainstorm and really get a feel for where your holiday content is going to take you. Ask yourself questions like:
- How can I distinguish myself from the competition?
- How can I drive brand recognition?
- What kind of special holiday flair can I achieve?
Align Your Ideas with Your Goals
Not every idea that you come up with is going to be magical. The fact is, however, that sometimes you have to dig deep before you hit pay dirt. Take your raw materials and fine-tune them with careful editing. Some ideas you might want to backburner and others may require more polish and/or streamlining.
Your goals should be your guide. If your aim is to create a splash on social media, for instance, an all-out email campaign is not going to hit that. If, on the other hand, your goal is to generate more organic customer traffic, a thoughtful and persistent email plan may be just the thing. Choose your content wisely and ensure that it aligns with your company’s goals and intentions. Finally, execute a content plan that you consider doable. Biting off more than you can chew for the holidays can do more harm than good.
Create a feasible content timeline and plan accordingly. Your holiday content should progress in a manner that makes sense for your business. And because the holidays practically beg for beautiful and inspiring images, don’t forget that the photos and graphics can help get your potential customers in the holiday spirit.
Let Us Help You Make Digital-Marketing Magic
Since 2005, the dedicated team at The Web Guys has been helping small businesses find online success. Now, more than ever, your online presence is essential to your success, and we’re here to help. The holidays are a great opportunity for you to up your content game and to increase online traffic. To learn more about us or our services, contact us by calling 317-805-4933 today.
