The holiday season is a magical time of year. As the weather gets colder, people's attention turns inward towards family, friends, and celebration. This creates a unique opportunity for businesses across all sectors to connect with customers, old and new. 

Whether you're a retail startup launching new products or a B2B company with a long sales cycle, the holiday season allows you to capture your audience's attention in a way that simply isn't possible at other times of the year. Hearts and minds are open to your brand's messaging if you craft it thoughtfully.

For B2C, the Holidays are Prime Time

The holiday shopping season accounts for 20-30% of annual sales for many retailers. Customers are actively looking for gifts for loved ones and bargains for themselves. Retailers can attract them through holiday sales, limited edition products, gift guides, and seasonal content.

Even if a buying decision for your product or service is not tied to seasonality, don’t underestimate the increased volume of attention on advertising and content distribution platforms. Everybody is on their phone during the holiday season, with the upswing in attention is an opportunity to capture it and utilize it. 

Organic Social Media Strategies for B2C:

• Encourage customers to share their holiday experiences with your products using a specific hashtag. Feature their content on your social media to build community and trust.
• Share stories that connect your brand to holiday values like giving, community, and joy. Use organic posts to tell these stories and bring your brand closer to your audience.
• Create polls, quizzes, and contests related to the holiday season to engage users and keep them interested in your social media pages.

B2B Companies Can Take Advantage Too

You may think the holidays only matter for consumer brands, but B2B companies can also capitalize on the holiday hustle. Decision makers are often rushing to finish end-of-year budgets. Your advertising, content, and offers will stand out in their crowded inboxes when it’s clearly tied to the holidays. 

Consider running LinkedIn video ads with upbeat seasonal messaging. Send custom holiday cards to your best accounts. Develop engaging content around seasonal business challenges: managing remote teams throughout the holidays, staying productive during vacation days, and planning successful holiday parties. Position your brand as an insightful partner rather than a pushy salesperson.

For B2B firms with longer sales cycles, the holidays present an opportunity to nurture promising leads. Send custom holiday presents to warm up cold prospects. Schedule in-person meetings or webinars where leads can interact with product experts. Share insights on 2022 industry trends. The holidays help you stay top of mind with accounts you hope to convert in the New Year.

Organic Social Media Strategies for B2B:

• Share insights, tips, and holiday guides that address common end-of-year business challenges. Make your content shareable so it's easy for your audience to spread the word.
• Use LinkedIn groups to start discussions about holiday planning and strategies. This can position your brand as a thought leader and go-to resource.
• Promote any holiday networking events or webinars on social media. Use live features on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram to give a real-time experience to those who cannot attend.

The Key is to Start Planning Early 

Holiday marketing campaigns should begin in October or earlier. Start teasing seasonal content and products before competitors. Offer seasonal discounts and bundles for early shoppers. Launch a holiday-themed content series on your blog to organically attract search traffic. The more merchants can make themselves part of the customer's seasonal shopping habits, the better sales will be.

The holiday season allows for creative marketing across every industry. The cheerful mood and unique calendar breaks make for an unparalleled sales opportunity. Bring on the festive spirit, and let it ring in leads and sales for your business.