4 Ways to "Cook Up" Great Content for the Holiday Season

With Thanksgiving coming up and Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa being right around the corner, it's time for your business to start coming up with some festive content. This is a great opportunity to connect with your consumers' feelings of excitement, nostalgia, and thankfulness for the holiday season. I know it may seem like there's already been an explosion of holiday spirit at every corner of everyone's business, but amongst all of the turkeys, holiday music, and decorations, there are still ways to stand out with your content. So without further ado, here are 4 great ways to cook up content for the holidays.

1. Rockin' Around the Content Calendars

Content calendars can keep you organized and prepared for all of the holiday madness. You would be surprised how effective, relevant, consistent, and well-timed content can be. Be sure to schedule strategically by considering who you are marketing to and what you're trying to accomplish. For example, if you're a B2C company, be especially sure to synch up your messages with holiday shopping seasons such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Properly planning with a content calendar when practicing content marketing will ensure that your users stay engaged.

2. Working in an Inbound Wonderland

The basic first step to inbound marketing is to start by examining your audience and creating content that will market to your ideal consumer, otherwise known as your buyer persona.

Be sure your content:

• Meets your buyer persona's needs and pain points during the holiday season.
• Corresponds with your buyer's journey. In other words, meet your buyers where they're at. If your buyer is simply gaining awareness or exploring options, then keep your content educational, not promotional. Your product or service should not be discussed in detail until the decision stage of your buyer's journey.
• Uses relevant keywords in your audience's language.
• Includes compelling call-to-actions.

These inbound practices help ensure that your consumers stay happy and come back for more.

3. Content All the Way

Next, attract your audience with remarkable content. Here are a few content ideas that can engage your audience during the holidays:

1. Create a Holiday Offer- Whether you're giving a special discount or creating a holiday-related product or service, a limited-time offer is a considerable course to drive traffic.
2. Hold a Giveaway Contest- Contests are a fun way to spread brand awareness and keep your audience engaged. They can encourage your audience to convert by providing an email address, sharing your content on social media, or even filling out a marketing research survey.
3. Give Back to your Community- If possible, there's no better way to get into the holiday spirit than to lend a helping hand to those in need or contribute to a cause that aligns with your company's values. For example, LevelTen offers a significant discount to non-profits seeking to build a website on Drupal. The holidays are a perfect time to let your audience know what your business values, and these values extend further than just the bottom-line.

4. 'Tis the Season to be Social

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is [posting often] for all to hear."

Buddy the elf knows his stuff. No one is going to know what you have to offer unless you put it out there. Social media is the perfect place for putting out festive messages whether you're reminding consumers of your holiday specials and giveaways or just wishing everyone a happy holidays.

These are just a few tips to give you a better insight to how to plan, create, and promote during the holiday season. What is your business doing to get into the holiday spirit? What are some of your favorite holiday marketing strategies? We'd love to hear your suggestions.