Why You Should Try to Incorporate the Holidays Into Your Marketing Efforts

If it seems like more and more marketers are incorporating holiday-themed elements into their campaigns, you're absolutely right. Though some may think this is a symptom of the commercialization of events like Thanksgiving or Christmas, it really isn't - at least, not if you approach it from the right angle. In truth, incorporating the holidays into your larger marketing efforts is and will always be a good idea for a number of compelling reasons.

It's All About Timeliness

Most marketing campaigns live and die by their timeliness. After all, what is a piece of marketing collateral if not a sure-fire way to get the right message in front of the right people at the right time? But this idea can take on a far greater meaning, particularly as far as the holidays are concerned.

Consider the fact that according to one recent study, about one-third of all shoppers reported that one or more holiday weekend purchases (think: Black Friday) were driven specifically by promotions. Likewise, another study revealed that in 2017 alone the average per person holiday spending will reach a new high of $805.65.

The ability to say "I'm having a one day sale for the holidays and here are all the details you need to know" is a great way to light a fire and motivate someone to make a purchase. But the reason why you should always try to incorporate the holidays into your marketing efforts runs far deeper than that.

In many ways, it plays directly into another one of the strengths of thoughtfully designed marketing collateral: emotion. You're not just trying to establish a connection with someone - you're trying to do so in the most emotional way possible. Connections based on emotions are the ones that instill a great sense of customer and brand loyalty.

What, then, could possibly be more emotional than the holiday season?

Capitalizing on Emotion

Think about it from the perspective of your average consumer. The holidays are something that they spend a huge portion of the year thinking about. They're devoting a large amount of their day at this point to getting ready for Christmas. They're looking forward to reconnecting with friends and family members that they may have lost touch with throughout the course of their busy year.

Emotions are already running incredibly high. So why on Earth would you NOT want to take advantage of that?

Making an effort to incorporate the holidays into your marketing efforts - even in some small way - taps directly into what people are already feeling all across this season. Even if you're not running a holiday promotion, making an effort to use holiday-themed visuals - or even just wishing your audience a heartfelt "Happy Holidays" - goes a long way towards connecting YOUR brand with what THEY are experiencing in the moment.

It's also something that you can never begin too early - particularly considering that 49% of marketers now say that they begin their holiday campaigns BEFORE Halloween. Make no mistake about it: if you're able to successfully connect with your audience via a holiday-themed campaign at the end of the year, you'll be building the type of emotional bridge directly to your audience that will serve you both well.