12 Days of Marketing: A Guide to Digital Marketing During the Holidays

Kiersten Fay, Digital Marketer and Content Specialist, Foundery

As the holiday season approaches, it’s crucial to start early and build a solid marketing strategy to stand out in a competitive market. This approach helps make sure your marketing efforts are well-prepared and sustainable, setting you up for long-term success beyond just the holiday rush. 

Day One: Start with a Strong SEO Foundation 

Effective search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for making your brand more visible to the right audience, which drives meaningful engagement and measurable growth. By attracting high-quality traffic, a strong SEO strategy not only increases your brand’s online presence but also boosts conversions, builds trust with potential customers, and ultimately supports long-term business success. 

Day Two: Be more Relevant with Targeted Keyword Research

Focus on identifying trending holiday search terms and niche long-tail keywords that align with this year’s seasonal interests. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to uncover emerging topics that are relevant to your audience and within your competitive reach.  

For service-based businesses, this could mean targeting unique, location-specific queries like “holiday services near me” or “last-minute holiday assistance.” This fresh, targeted approach will help attract relevant traffic and build your brand visibility, even if you’re just starting your holiday campaign. 

Day Three: Be Found Online with Better On-Page Optimization

On-page optimization focuses on implementing specific SEO practices to improve your ranking in Search Engines. On-page optimization includes optimizing elements like title tags, meta descriptions, headers, URL structure, internal linking, and content quality. 

Day Four: Expand your Audience with Content Marketing 

Make sure you are capturing attention with holiday content. Great ideas include gift guides, blogs on seasonal trends or events, blogs on sales in your local area. Take advantage of the holiday season and its content opportunities and topics.  Try to keep to topics that are relevant to your business or the location your business operates. 

Day Five: Engage your Followers with Great Social Media 

Create festive social media posts that highlight any holiday sales or promotions your business is running. Engage your audience with interactive content, such as giveaways or polls, to foster community and increase followers. Plan your social media strategy in advance to ensure it aligns with your overall marketing goals and effectively reaches your target audience. 

Day Six: Reach your Existing Customers with Email Marketing 

Leverage email marketing to spotlight exclusive, limited-time holiday offers, using festive themes and countdown timers to amplify urgency and drive action. Personalize each email with tailored product recommendations based on customers’ browsing history or past purchases, creating a curated experience that enhances engagement and boosts conversions during the holiday season. 

Day Seven: Attract New Customers with Local SEO

Optimize for local searches to attract customers looking for nearby stores or services. Make sure your Google Business Profile is updated with holiday hours and any exclusive offers. Use location-specific keywords on your holiday content like “Christmas gifts in [City]” or “Christmas Deals In [City]” to improve visibility for local searches and encourage customers to leave reviews to boost local credibility. 

Day Eight: Build Authority with Link Building

Strengthen your online authority through strategic link building. Reach out to relevant blogs, websites, or influencers in your niche for guest posting opportunities or collaborations that can lead to backlinks. Consider creating valuable content such as infographics or holiday guides that others may want to link to. Engaging in local partnerships can also enhance your local SEO efforts, increasing your chances of being discovered by holiday shoppers. 

Day Nine: Leverage your Audiences with Paid Advertising

PPC campaigns with seasonal keywords can help capture holiday shoppers. Tailor your ad with festive terms and holiday-specific promotions to improve click-through rates.  

Retargeting ads are also useful for reaching people who visited your site but did not purchase, reminding them of your deals. 

Day Ten: Maximize Impact with Improved Analytics and Tracking 

Measure success by tracking conversions, sales, and where your holiday traffic is coming from. Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor user behaviour, allowing you to adjust campaigns based on what is performing best. Track metrics like engagement rate, time on site, and popular pages to optimize engagement for maximum holiday impact. 

Day Eleven: Elevate Customer Engagement 

Building connections with customers during the holiday season can increase loyalty. Use personalized messaging and follow-up emails to thank customers for their purchases. Provide live chat support or clear FAQs to help shoppers quickly find answers, reducing potential frustration and encouraging them to stay on your site. 

Day Twelve: Post-Holiday Strategy 

After the holidays, keep customers engaged with targeted post-holiday offers, discounts, and remarketing ads. Use the audience built during your holiday campaigns by sending personalized ads to encourage repeat visits and purchases through the slower winter months. Boxing Day promotions and sneak peeks of upcoming products can also keep your brand top of mind, extending holiday momentum well into the new year. 

Wrap Up Your Digital Marketing Strategy with Foundery 

As the holiday season approaches, boost your marketing efforts with these tips. From optimizing your website for search engines to leveraging social media and email marketing, every step is important for enhancing your visibility and attracting customers.  

Don’t forget to analyze your results and adapt your strategies to ensure continued success. With thoughtful planning and execution, you can create a memorable holiday experience for your customers while driving substantial growth for your business.  

Ready to elevate your holiday marketing strategy?