The holiday season is quickly approaching, and if you haven’t already given thought to your B2B holiday marketing campaigns, then the time is now!
What Sets a B2B Holiday Marketing Campaign Apart from a B2C Campaign?
A B2B holiday marketing campaign is a lot more than the usual generic holiday adverts of Christmas decorations and holly. B2C holiday marketing campaigns are typically aimed at a wide range of consumers, such as families, people with kids, or sports fans – depending on your specific audience. The primary goal of most B2C holiday campaigns is to drive sales.
On the other hand, B2B marketing campaigns usually only target a specific demographic such as small businesses or medium-sized companies. Sure, while some B2B marketing campaigns are intended to drive sales, these campaigns are often used to share consumer appreciation and further build relationships.
The good news? While there may be some significant differences between a B2C and B2B holiday marketing campaign, they do share quite a few similarities, meaning you can draw some inspiration from existing campaigns.
3 Examples of B2B Holiday Marketing Campaigns That Work
One of the most significant differences you’ll find in a B2C and B2B holiday marketing campaign is that B2C campaigns are often more promotional in nature, whereas B2B campaigns are more targeted at building/maintaining relationships.
1. Google My Business – Email Campaign
As part of their holiday email marketing campaign, Google My Business used the opportunity to remind businesses to update their holiday hours if they were changing to accommodate the holiday season. They didn’t utilize any special holiday coloring or imagery, and in this case, that works wonderfully since the holidays can mean many things to different people.
By taking this approach, it’s just a friendly reminder to all businesses – no matter what holiday they may partake in.
Source: Really Good Emails
2. SnapApp – Webinar
In the following example from SnapApp, they avoided any use of holiday marketing jargon in their invitation for their December webinar. Instead, they used some wintery wording to match the marketing with the season.
Again, by using terms such as “warm up your marketing” instead of focusing on holiday-specific terminology, SnapApp can market to a far greater audience.
Source: Capterra
3. Opensense – Animated Banner Ads
In the final example from Opensence, they used the coming new year in a banner ad to help spread warmth and good tidings to all those who may come across it.
Source: Opensense
Banner ads can be used in several places, including emails and paid advertising, allowing you to reach a wide audience. By sharing a warm message, it helps portray your brand as a caring and kind one.
Tips to Help You Create Memorable B2B Holiday Marketing Campaigns
Holiday marketing campaigns are vital for keeping your business relevant and top of mind with your prospects and customers. If you’re looking to create memorable marketing campaigns for your next holiday season, here are a few tips to help you create campaigns that stand out from the crowd and achieve your business goals.
Start Early
The right B2B holiday marketing campaign takes time to plan and execute – we’re talking a good few months in a best-case scenario. That’s why your marketing team must get an early start on the entire campaign.
Sure, you may not be starting the campaign until early December. However, you want to allow enough time for the creation process, testing, and implementation as well. That’s why your marketing team must get an early start on the entire campaign.
Know Your Audience
This should go without saying, but you need to know who you’re marketing to. It’s not enough to have a broad message and expect your audience to buy-in. You need to be clear and concise in your messaging, as you don’t want to turn off anyone who may be a potential customer.
In a B2B holiday marketing campaign, you may want to focus on certain demographics. For example, if you’re in financial services, you may want to focus on potential clients who have a high net worth and require investment advice during the holiday season.
Consider Interactive Content
Don’t just create static holiday messages and expect people to respond. Consider creating interactive content that prompts readers/viewers to perform an action.
If you’re looking to really stand out from the crowd, then you’ll want to consider creating and sharing interactive content. This is content that prompts readers/viewers to do or click something. Remember, it doesn’t have to be promotional in nature!
Instead, consider asking your clients what they plan to do for their holiday or create a fun interactive quiz.
Embrace the Spirit of Giving
Looking to spread cheer and goodwill during the holiday season? Show your audience you care by getting involved in a holiday charity campaign.
When you send out your communications, you can encourage your audience to get involved, showing them that you care about more than just your business. And you’ll find that your business will grow as a result! Give a little, give often – that’s the best way to keep your audience interested and engaged.
Keep Your B2B Marketing Best Practices Front of Mind
Finally, when working on your B2B holiday marketing campaign, you want to be sure to keep all your usual marketing best practices front of mind.
That means prioritizing:
- Personalization
- Consistent messaging and branding
- Customer experience, etc.
If you’re looking to create memorable holiday marketing campaigns, remember to get creative and think outside the box! That means thinking outside of ‘the normal and acceptable’ to create something unique and personal.
Grow Your B2B Marketing Strategy with Helpful Tips from Hushly
Hushly is your source for B2B marketing best practices and strategies. Don’t go it alone in your holiday marketing campaigns. Use our proven best practices and tips to create smart holiday marketing campaigns that give your business a competitive edge.
Looking for more tips on how to improve your B2B marketing strategy? Then check out our blog on building an effective B2B integrated marketing strategy today!
