It’s that time of year again.
The weather’s getting warmer, the shops are getting busier, families are coming together and Michael Bublé is playing on repeat.
That can only mean one thing… it’s Christmas time!
While we’re all looking to reconnect with loved ones and decorate our homes with Christmas trees that will probably stay up until February, this is the perfect opportunity for your business to do a little Christmas content marketing!
Here’s how you can connect with customers during the most wonderful time of the year.
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What does Christmas look like for businesses?
As per every Christmas, spending this year is set to go through the roof.
In fact, according to a national survey, Australians look set to spend a whopping $27.3 billion on Christmas this year, from presents, to food, to travel and accommodation. That’s a massive 14% increase from last year’s estimated $23.9 billion spend.
“That’s a massive 14% increase from last year’s estimated $23.9 billion spend.”
We only have to look at the growing popularity of recent events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday to realise that now, more than ever, Australian’s are glued to their screens, looking for the best gifts and deals they can find this holiday season.
However, while this is a great time of year for businesses to drive sales and double down on their marketing, creating engaging Christmas content is also just as much about your brand’s recognition and public image.
“This is a great time of year for businesses to drive sales and double down on their marketing with relevant seasonal content.”
Why is it important to engage in Christmas content marketing?
For many of us, Christmas brings with it an air of nostalgia, and fills us with a feeling of happiness and hope. These emotions end up becoming a huge driving force for the decisions that we make around this time, especially as we look to buy gifts for those we love.
“Christmas time changes the face of marketing and the impact it has on people.”
For marketing professionals, this is the ideal time to align with this heightened emotion of your customers. Creating Christmas content can help you to reach a wider audience and position your brand as trustworthy, memorable and relatable.
“In other words, people are looking for brands that join them in their festive fever as a signal that they align with their values.”
This helps to create a base of loyal customers – even long after Christmas is over – as you’ve managed to draw their attention and provide value during a particularly enjoyable time of their lives.
So, as this is the season of giving, we’ve decided to gift you with a list of Christmas content marketing “do’s and don’ts” that you can use to help create a lasting impression on your audience.
The Do’s and Don’ts of Christmas Content Marketing
1. DO be creative and unique
Creativity is about more than just using festive phrases and designs. Customers are used to seeing this by now. Go further than just festive “window dressing”.
A great example of a brand that has gone above and beyond with its creativity and originality is Coca-Cola. Over the years, they’ve found numerous ways to create unique and emotionally engaging Christmas content, such as their popularisation of Santa Claus, their White Christmas campaign, and their overall thematic product branding.
Nowadays, Coca-Cola’s brand image is synonymous with Christmas time.
While it may not be easy to be creative and unique, the work you put in will help to differentiate your brand from your competition going forward.
2. DO be consistent
When brainstorming your holiday content, ask yourself, “Does this still reflect the essence of my brand?”
While it’s advantageous to adapt to new marketing trends during the holiday period, it’s still important to hold on to your brand’s WHY. In this way, you can create Christmas content while still providing relevant value to your customers and the wider audience.
For more on brand consistency, check out our post on why your brand needs core messaging guidelines.
3. DO be strategic
Creating a Christmas marketing strategy and content calendar can help you generate more cohesive and brand-relevant Christmas content while still capitalising on the current holidays and trends.
For example: if your business sells vegan baked goods, you could create a list of Christmas-themed ideas for your December blog posts, such as:
“7 yummy vegan treats to bake this Christmas”
“5 vegan Christmas recipes that the whole family will love”
“Our 10 tips for enjoying a meat-free Christmas day”
You get the idea.
The best part is, you can repurpose this kind of content several times throughout the year for holidays like Easter, Halloween and even Christmas in July.
4. DO follow SOME trends
Hold on – didn’t we just say to be original with your Christmas content?!
Yes, but it doesn’t hurt to get on board with some Christmas pop trends too. Just don’t go overboard.
Take a look at the current popular trends and pick one or two that are most relevant to your brand. This could be a popular meme or a song or movie that’s been doing the rounds.
This is a great way to increase your audience and engagement without getting off track and alienating your loyal customers. Remember, though, you should still be aiming to provide value to your audience while getting behind these trends.
5. Do use festive SEO keywords
SEO keywords are an extremely important part of content marketing.
When creating digital content, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) helps to make your content more searchable and reach a wider audience – and during Christmas, they’re looking for specific keywords, such as “gift ideas” and “holiday suggestions for the family.”
So, include these SEO phrases in a relevant way and give them a Christmas spin to ensure you’re ranking with relevant content when you want to be found.
If you’d like some assistance with your SEO, Melotti Media can help you.
6. DO create a sense of urgency – but don’t be too pushy!
When looking to increase your sales around Christmas time, a sense of urgency can play a big role in your customer’s final decision.
I’m sure you’ve seen many brands using phrases such as “limited stock available” or “only available until 6pm Friday”. Some even send emails reminding customers that there are items sitting in their cart and they could sell out at any minute.
A sense of urgency encourages customers to act fast. However, there’s a fine line between urgent and pushy. In fact, customers will become turned off or annoyed at your brand if your message starts to get too salesy.
So, before bombarding your customers with urgent messages, consider the potential damage this can do to your brand, and look for a happy medium instead.
7. DO be genuine
People are smart. They can pick when you’re simply trying to squeeze every last penny out of them and when you actually care enough to add value to their lives.
Make sure you’re being genuine, especially now at Christmas time.
As we’ve already mentioned, it’s important to ensure that your Christmas content marketing is not just based on fads and in-your-face sales campaigns. Rather, make sure your brand messaging is consistent with your values.
Always remember, a genuine message will never fail to resonate with your audience.
For more on this, check out why it’s so important for your marketing to be genuine today.
8. DON’T start too early or too late
It helps to pay close attention to the market landscape when building your content marketing strategy, especially around Christmas time.
For example: according to the Australian Retailers Association, 54% of Australians started their Christmas shopping in November this year, due to fear of supply shortages and further lockdowns.
Brands who were aware of or predicted this trend in October had the opportunity to start their marketing in time for the November rush, while brands who only started their marketing in December may have potentially missed the boat.
So, keep an eye on the market in the lead up to big holidays and events and don’t be afraid to conduct your own research to understand your customers and time your marketing campaigns right.
9. DON’T exclude audiences
Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Joyous Kwanzaa!
Remember, not everyone celebrates Christmas, but the same theme of celebration and togetherness still resonates throughout each of these cultural and religious holidays.
Now, more than ever, customers are choosing to engage with brands that promote and celebrate inclusivity. So, create content that addresses your entire audience. That feeling of inclusion will build loyalty and strengthen your brand’s reputation over time.
10. DON’T forget to measure your results
Metrics and statistics are the best indicators of how well your Christmas content marketing is being received by your audiences.
Through measuring your results, you can do things like compare this year’s December site traffic to last year’s, or perhaps you’d like to know how many more leads you need to convert to enjoy your most successful Christmas yet.
More importantly, measuring allows you to determine what you need to do differently next time, as well as what you should double down on to continue growing your brand in the future.
11. Last, but definitely not least… DON’T underestimate the power of words
The tips we’ve provided for you above are only effective when you use the right words to convey your Christmas message. No matter how great your website or visual design is, powerful copywriting is what achieves results!
Remember, sometimes it’s the personality, not the looks, that wins hearts.
Click here to learn how Melotti Media can help you to get the most out of your Christmas content marketing.
Unleash the power of words with Melotti Media this Christmas
With the increasing demands of the holiday season, you may find yourself time poor and spread thin. Creating quality Christmas content may be the last thing on your mind.
At Melotti Media, we understand the value that copywriting can add to your content. That’s why we produce engaging and rewarding content marketing solutions that help your brand to reach its full potential.
For more information or to speak to a quality copywriter that will get the results your business deserves, contact us now at enquire@melottimedia.com.au.
We can sharpen your words to achieve your goals today!
The Melotti Media Team
Melotti Media | Copywriting & Message Marketing Bureau
www.melottimedia.com.au
