Now that October has given way to November, it’s time for that inevitable onslaught of seasonal marketing around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Brands love to get involved in seasonal marketing throughout the year because it gives them something a little bit different to work with. A great example of this is the subtle way in which Google refreshes its logo on certain days or to pay homage to influential historical figures.
But the problem with seasonal marketing is the way that the industry suddenly becomes so saturated in such a small space of time. The holiday period is the content marketing equivalent of the Superbowl, except it just keeps on going for weeks on end. This makes it difficult for brands to get through to people and to make sure that their message is the one that’s heard.
Another problem is that focussing on seasonality often means that you pass up other opportunities. For example, instead of running a seasonal marketing campaign, you could be working on setting up personalised marketing campaigns or even queuing up some automation. True, you can also save these tactics for when there’s nothing seasonal to talk about, but you’d be surprised by how easy it is to fall into the trap of just going from one event to another.
Maintaining your authenticity
One of the biggest trends in content marketing in the current era is the switch towards a more authentic type of marketing. This is accompanied by an increased focus on user-generated content, as well as by giving employees the training and the authority that they need to talk about their work on social networking sites.
Focusing on seasonal marketing can help, especially when it comes to sharing social events and other behind-the-scenes updates. If you have an annual Christmas party, for example, then it’s not a bad idea to share the best of the photos on the night. The problem is that sometimes we start to use seasonal marketing as a crutch, celebrating every random holiday under the sun whether it’s relevant to our audience as not. Do you really need to celebrate National Coffee Day?
Authenticity is one of the most powerful tools that you have at your disposal, but it can’t be faked. National Coffee Day might make sense if you make artisan coffee because it gives you an opportunity to talk about your history as a company. Otherwise, you’re probably better off talking about what’s actually going on at the company instead of saying something generic about how much you love pumpkin spice latte.
Conclusion
Seasonal marketing can be a great way to bring your company to life and to show a more human side of your business, but only if it’s coupled with authenticity. Some of the best content marketing simply documents what’s already happening, and that’s because it’s hard to be inauthentic when you’re already being true to yourself. This festive season, feel free to jump into the annual marketing push on the run up to Christmas, but don’t sacrifice your authenticity to do it. Good luck.
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Dane
Dane Cobain is a published author, freelance writer, book blogger, poet and (occasional) musician from High Wycombe, UK. Before going freelance, he worked as a social media marker, now specialising in writing about publishing, technology and marketing.