The holidays are a great time to ramp up your marketing efforts and grab your customers attention. These fun and festive holiday marketing ideas can help you get into the holiday spirit, while gathering new leads and converting new sales.
53 Holiday Marketing Ideas to Get Festive This Year
This collection of holiday marketing ideas can help you create new downloadable lead magnets, improve other elements of your content marketing strategy, and get more holiday sales. Some of these ideas will fit certain businesses better than others, but you can make your own changes and additions to fit your industry and theme. Consider how you might use these holiday marketing ideas to suit your industry, customer’ preferences, or your business’s initiatives and brand. Remember that your employees and customers might celebrate a variety of different holiday traditions, and try to incorporate these thoughtfully.
1. Themed Calendar
The holidays mean the year is almost over, and it’s time to start planning for next year. A themed calendar can include images of your business or those relevant to your industry, as well as important dates, like trade shows or sales.
2. Holiday Emails
Personalized holiday email campaigns can help your customers get into the holiday spirit. Offer exclusive discounts, share holiday greetings, and promote limited-time offers. Use catchy subject lines to grab attention in crowded inboxes.
3. Social Media Contests and Giveaways
Host holiday-themed contests or giveaways on your social media platforms. Encourage user-generated content, such as holiday photos or festive recipes, and offer enticing prizes to boost engagement.
4. Product Bundles
Curate gift guides and product bundles tailored to different customer segments. Highlight the value and convenience of these curated collections, making holiday shopping easier for your customers.
5. Interactive Quizzes and Polls
Create fun and interactive holiday-themed quizzes or polls. These can be both entertaining and informative, providing insights into customer preferences while keeping them engaged with your brand.
6. Live Streaming and Webinars
Host live streaming events or webinars related to holiday topics or showcasing your products. Engage with your audience in real-time, answer questions, and demonstrate the value of your offerings.
7. Charity and Philanthropic Initiatives
Embrace the spirit of giving by partnering with a charitable organization. Promote a donation drive or commit to a cause during the holiday season, emphasizing your commitment to social responsibility.
8. Limited-Time Offers and Flash Sales
Create a sense of urgency with limited-time holiday discounts and flash sales. Notify your customers through email and social media about these time-sensitive opportunities to encourage quick action.
9. Personalized Greetings and Cards
Send personalized holiday greetings or digital cards to your loyal customers. Express gratitude and well wishes, strengthening customer relationships and brand loyalty.
10. Advent Calendars and Countdowns
Launch an online advent calendar or countdown to build anticipation during the holiday season. Reveal a new surprise or offer every day, encouraging daily engagement with your brand throughout the holiday season.
11. Influencer Collaborations
The right holiday marketing ideas can include others outside your business as well as your business itself. Partner with influencers who align with your brand and product offerings. They can create engaging content and reach a broader audience to boost your brand’s holiday visibility.
12. Decorate Your Website and Social Profiles
Dress up your website and social media profiles with festive decorations and holiday-themed banners. This visual update adds a touch of holiday spirit and can help to capture your visitors’ attention.
13. Holiday Gift Cards
Promote holiday-themed gift cards or e-gift certificates for last-minute shoppers. Highlight the convenience and flexibility of gifting these cards to loved ones.
14. User-Generated Content (UGC) Showcase
Starbuck’s Red Cup Contest is a particularly famous holiday-themed contest generating lots of UGC.
Encourage customers to share their holiday experiences with your products and services. Showcase UGC on your website and social media, providing authentic testimonials and building trust.
15. Festive Product Packaging
Enhance your product packaging with holiday-themed designs and elements. Eye-catching packaging can make your products stand out on the shelves and boost your brand’s holiday appeal.
16. Holiday eBook
What do the holidays mean for your business? Whatever special dates, plans, history, stories, or other information comes to mind, put this in a festive downloadable ebook.
17. Gift Buying Guides
Provide comprehensive gift buying guides tailored to different recipient types or interests, helping customers find the perfect holiday gifts. This can be a great way to capitalize on particularly valuable keywords.
18. Printable Decorations
Design printable holiday decorations, such as banners, ornaments, or gift tags, for customers to use in their festive decorating. Include your business’s logo and information in a subtle way, so customers will keep your business’s name forefront in their mind.
19. Holiday Planning Templates
This holiday marketing idea can look very different for different businesses. Offer downloadable templates for holiday party planning, budgeting, or event coordination to assist customers in staying organized during this busy season.
20. eCards and Graphics
Create customizable holiday eCard templates, social media graphics, or email header designs for personal or business use.
21. DIY Craft Instructions
Provide instructions and templates for holiday-themed do-it-yourself (DIY) crafts, such as homemade ornaments or handmade gifts. Consider how you might incorporate your products or packaging into these DIY crafts.
22. Holiday-Themed Coloring Pages
Develop a set of holiday-themed coloring pages for kids and adults to download and enjoy during the festive season. This is a relaxing activity that can help slow down the hectic holidays.
23. Music Playlists
Curate and offer downloadable holiday music playlists for different moods or occasions, enhancing the holiday atmosphere. This might include ambient wind and snowfall for relaxation, festive tunes to set the mood, contemporary music, or something else.
24. Educational Content
Businesses in the B2B sector can create educational resources like whitepapers, industry reports, or end-of-year analysis templates.
25. Holiday Budget Calculator
Provide a downloadable spreadsheet or tool that helps individuals and businesses plan their holiday budgets and expenses.
26. Festive Wallpapers and Screensavers
Design holiday-themed wallpapers and screensavers for computers and mobile devices that customers can download and use. Include your business’s logo in a subtle way, so customers easily remember your business.
27. Interactive Games
Develop holiday-themed puzzles or interactive games that customers can download for entertainment and engagement. You might include history about your industry in a quiz game or industry jargon in a word puzzle.
28. Fitness and Wellness Guides
Create downloadable holiday fitness and wellness guides to help individuals maintain a healthy lifestyle during the festive season. This might include an office fitness and stretching guide, a work-from-home fitness guide, a fitness guide for those that work in the field, a guide for meditation and mental health to deal with industry-related stresses, or something else.
29. Holiday-Themed Storytelling
Craft downloadable short stories or eBooks with heartwarming holiday narratives that resonate with your target audience.
30. Event Planning Checklists
Offer downloadable checklists and planning guides for hosting memorable holiday events, parties, or gatherings.
31. Travel Planning Resources
The holidays usually mean vacation time, and travel planning. A travel guide, packing list, or destination recommendations for holiday getaways can be helpful across many different industries.
32. Winter Health and Safety Tips
The holidays are a happy time, but winter can also bring dangerous weather, low temperatures, illness, and more. A downloadable guide on winter driving safety, vehicle maintenance tips, home preparations for cold weather, wellness tips, and similar precautions can be a helpful holiday marketing idea across many different industries.
33. DIY Home Improvement Projects
Create instructional guides for DIY home improvement projects related to winterizing homes, offices, or enhancing holiday decor. This can apply to construction and contracting businesses, as well as those concerned with energy efficiency, home design, and more.
34. Pet Care and Safety Guides
Offer downloadable resources on pet care and safety during the holiday season, catering to pet owners’ needs. This holiday marketing idea works well for any business that works with pets, but it can also be a fun and thoughtful idea for businesses with pet-friendly offices.
35. Holiday Budgeting Worksheets
Provide downloadable worksheets or spreadsheets to help individuals, families, or businesses manage their holiday budgets effectively.
36. Healthy Holiday Recipe Book
Any business working with cooking, food, or ingredients can benefit from this holiday marketing idea. Offer a free eBook filled with nutritious holiday recipes and wellness tips to promote a healthy holiday season.
37. DIY Gift Idea Guide
If your business is concerned with budgeting or eco-friendly practices, a DIY gift idea guide can resonate with your customers. Create a downloadable guide with DIY gift ideas and step-by-step instructions for creating thoughtful, homemade presents.
38. Festive Cocktail Recipe Cards
Provide downloadable recipe cards for holiday-themed cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks, encouraging customers to try their hand at mixology.
39. Holiday Budget Tracker App
Create a mobile app or downloadable tool that helps users track and manage their holiday spending in real time.
40. Kids’ Activity Books
Design printable activity books with coloring pages, puzzles, and games to keep kids entertained during the holiday break.
41. Financial Planning Webinars
Host webinars or live sessions on financial planning for the holidays, with downloadable resources and templates for attendees. This can be applied to B2C businesses as well as B2B businesses. Use your expertise to help your business customers cut costs in your field.
42. Eco-Friendly Gift Wrapping Ideas
Gift wrapping can be festive and fun, but it can also be a source of anxiety for those on a strict budget, or those that are concerned with single-use waste. Share downloadable guides on eco-friendly gift-wrapping techniques and sustainable holiday practices.
43. Holiday Tech Gift Buying Guide
It can be difficult to know which tech gadgets are worth it, and which have issues. If you have experience with consumer technology or industry-related tech, a downloadable tech gift guide can give customers or clients helpful knowledge.
44. Personal Development eBooks
Provide eBooks on personal growth, goal setting, or mindfulness for individuals looking to start the new year with purpose.
45. Virtual Holiday Backgrounds
More people are communicating through video conferencing than ever before. A virtual, holiday-themed background can be a fun and festive holiday marketing idea to share with your employees or clients. As previously mentioned, use your business logo in a subtle place so customers remember your business.
46. Eco-Friendly Holiday Decorating
Develop guides on sustainable and eco-friendly holiday decorating, promoting environmentally responsible choices. This might include nature-themed decor like DIY wreaths or garland, or ways to turn household items into holiday decorations.
47. DIY Party Invitations
Offer downloadable templates for holiday party invitations and greeting cards that customers can customize.
48. Holiday Reading Lists
Information moves faster than ever, and it can be hard to stay up-to-date. Use your industry expertise to curate lists of recommended books and literature that will keep your customers current.
49. Goals Journal
The holidays also mean the year is coming to a close. This is a great time to set goals and visualize a great new year. This might include business-related goals for your B2B clients, personal and professional goals for individuals, or any industry-related milestones.
50. Inspiration Board
While setting goals for the new year, it’s helpful to create some visual inspirations boards, too. A platform like Instagram or Pinterest can help you and your customers gather images, quotes, or tips that are focused on a goal or motif, like meditation or fitness, or a cozy winter cabin.
51. Templates
Consider what templates you use on a regular basis, and how you might turn these into a holiday marketing idea. This might include spreadsheets for budgeting or planning, mock-ups for videos, design templates, organizational calendars and more.
52. Year-End Checklists
As the year comes to a close, it’s important to tie up loose ends, but it’s also a hectic time. Create a year-end checklist and use your industry expertise to help customers manage their businesses, homes, equipment, bank accounts, taxes, and more.
53. Blog posts
Try a holiday-themed blog post, like this one! This might include information about your company, your holiday initiatives, charitable endeavors, plans for the new year, or blog posts that highlight the downloadable content you’ve made.
These holiday marketing ideas can cater to a wide range of interests and needs, helping businesses engage with their audiences during the festive season. Consider how you might fit these marketing ideas into your industry, or alter these ideas to suit your audiences’ preferences and needs, or tailor these strategies to align with your brand’s unique identity.