When people think about holiday marketing, their minds often go straight to Christmas. While it’s true that major holidays require a more extensive strategy, being a strong marketer means implementing meaningful strategies for every holiday, like Valentine’s Day. Holidays with less anticipation like St. Patty’s Day and Memorial Day are coming in a few months, so it’s important to start planning your marketing efforts now.
In this blog post, we’ll outline simple guidelines for effective year-round holiday marketing and share how we applied these strategies for our client, The People’s Market, to maximize engagement and sales for Valentine’s Day and February.
1. Timely Communication
The key to a successful holiday campaign is getting the word out early so customers can plan ahead. For The People’s Market, we shared their Valentine’s promotions and events on February 3rd, nearly two weeks before the holiday. This advance notice allowed followers to:
- Learn about month-long promotions and specials
- Sign up for events before they sell out
- Get excited about the upcoming offerings
- Share with friends
When communicating holiday promotions, clear and concise messaging is essential. Instagram captions, for example, should be informative yet engaging without being overly wordy. The goal is to create excitement while ensuring clarity. Here’s an example of how we effectively communicated with The People’s Market’s followers:
“Love is in the air at The People’s Market! 🥰
❤️ Daily: Pastries available to share the love on the go.
❤️ First two weekends of the month: Valentine’s Red Velvet Waffles (Sat. & Sun. only)
❤️ Thursday 2/13″ We’re hosting the “Beat Cupid” mixer for singles in their 30s and 40s looking to mingle! 🎟 Tickets required. Head to @CarolinasMatchmaker to join the waitlist.
❤️ Friday 2/14: Open until 8 p.m. No reservations required!”
2. Frequent Reminders
One social media post isn’t enough. To keep the buzz going, it’s important to frequently remind your audience about upcoming events and promotions. We did this for The People’s Market by:
- Reposting event announcements to Instagram Stories
- Tagging relevant collaborators to increase reach
- Engaging with comments to encourage engagement
For example, The People’s Market partnered with Carolina Matchmakers for a Valentine’s Day event. By tagging their Instagram account (which has 3.6K followers), we expanded awareness of both the event and The People’s Market brand, reaching a wider audience.
3. Month-Long Promotions
Who says Valentine’s Day has to end on February 14th? Extending holiday promotions keeps engagement high even after the official date has passed.
For The People’s Market, we continued promoting their seasonal drinks and pastries the following week. One of our Instagram captions read:
“It’s not too late to sip on our special February-inspired teas and coffees! 💛 ☕️
🌹 Vanilla Rose Latte, topped with rose petals 🍒 Black Cherry Mocha 🍯 Hot Honey Chai, a little spice, a little sweet 🍑 Peach Blossom Tea 🍊 Orange Mocha
Stop by and treat yourself before they’re gone! 💨”*
This post effectively:
- Highlighted limited-time seasonal items
- Used urgency to encourage immediate action
- Included a call to action to drive traffic
By promoting holiday offerings throughout the entire month, businesses can extend customer interest and associate their brand with memorable, positive experiences.
Elevate Your Holiday Marketing
Strategic holiday marketing isn’t just for Christmas. By planning ahead, keeping promotions top-of-mind, and extending the celebration beyond the holiday itself, businesses can maximize engagement and sales.
Interested in implementing these strategies for your business? Reach out to us today, and let’s make your next holiday campaign a success!
