CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION p. 2
PART 1: DECK THE HALLS WITH DEALS APLENTY p.3-4
PART 2: THE SNOW GLOBE EFFECT- CREATE A HOUDA Y
ATMOSPHERE p. s-6
PART 3: EMAIL MARKETING- THE CHRISTMAS CARD OF
THE INTERNET p. 7-8
PART 4: 'TIS THE SEASON TO BE BLOGGING p. 9-10
PART 5: ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS ARE SOME LIKES,
TWEETS & PINS p. 11-17
WRAP-UP
P- 18
ABOUT THE CREATORS p. 19
SOURCES CITED p. 20
INTRODUCTION

Customizing your content and marketing strategies to match the
needs and wants of your readership is imperative in the upcoming
months.
SO, WHAT DO CONSUMERS WANT THIS TIME O F YEAR?
All things Christmas. Hanukkah. and Thanksgiving. Holiday-
proofing your internet marketing strategy will keep your web
presence fresh, current. and relevant-all things Google looks for
when evaluating search rankings.
Search engines aren't the only ones who will appreciate your efforts.
Holiday-infused content and special offers will benefit your clients
os well, providing them with relevant, useful information and extra
rewords for being loyal followers of your business.
From mid-October to early January. business owners should be
gearing up for holiday shoppers. Business-to-business (B2B)
and business-to-consumer (B2C) can profit from holiday-
proofing their web p resence. By implementing these
marketing tips, your business will see an increase in:
Exposure Consumer interest
Site traffic Engagement
Conversion roles Cheer & merriment!
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An integra l part of your company's holiday
makeover should include offering your
clients deals. There's nothing more appealing
to a customer than the words free, discount,
limited offer, and coupon.
This is a mplified during the holiday season
when consumers scour advertisements and
the web for the best deals out there. Special
holiday offers displayed prominently on your
~
~
site' s main page may give an online customer ~
the extra push to purchase or schedule
services.
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Discounts and promotional codes can be
used in a variety of places: thank you pages,
emails. social medi a sites, etc.
Throughout the rest of this guide, we' II delve
further into where and how best to
display holiday deals.
(ULH.h


PLAN FOR THE MAJOR SHOPPING DAYS
It's of utmost importance that your business plan a campaign centered on fJ
some of the biggest shopping doys of the yeor.
Just o reminder:
Block Friday (November 23)
Small Business Saturday (November 24)
Cyber Monday (November 26)
December 23 (Greatest percentage of purchases mode)
Christmas Eve (December 24)
Christmas Day (December 25)
Make sure to get the word out about your holiday specials
before these dates. Offering your products and services
for a limited time may prompt consumers to act faster.
You may also choose to highlight the advantages of
shopping online versus i n-slore: no wait. no crowds!
Don't be afraid to try different tactics to see what works
best for you.
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For businesses whose main traffic comes from ~
online users, your website is your digital ~
storefront. Business owners
have a lot of leeway t o create a user ~
spirit. Create an inviting a tmosphere
experience that 's overflowing with holiday ~
that people want t o shop in.
Your goal is t o create a user experience that 's ~
both attractive and promotes traffic a nd sales.
The simplest way to do this is t o decorate. ~
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CYBERSPACE DECORATING INSPIRATION
Feature red & green bordered coupons on the
main page.
Use related hol iday-specific images on your blog post s.
Make simple design changes t o the front logo.
i.e., snow-copped text, reindeer a ntlers.
Place a border of lights around the Thank You page.
Include a holiday poll and offer coupons upon
completion.
Upload photos of your staff wearing Santo hots
f or your "About Us" page.
Include a holiday-specific image and text in your
rotating bonner.
The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to holk:Jay-proofing your website design.
Simply work with your design team to enhance the look and feel of your website. blog
posts. thank-you pages, newsJetters, and more. If you don' t have a design team--don't
worry. There's no need to bombard your clients with gangs of sugarplum
fairies or mountains of candy canes. Even the simplest chonges, like
adding a haliday-themed image to your blog posts, con be done
with limited knowledge of website design.
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Like all good greeting cards. your holiday
email marketing campaign should include an
inspirational. moving message that conveys
hope, gratitude. and a bright future.
Have your CEO write a letter to subscribers
detailing how much you appreciate them.
List the company's accomplishment s in the
past year.
Discuss what clients can look forward to in the
future.
Personalize your message.
This is the time of the year those after-school
TV moments are more than ok. An e-newsletter
is a great opportunity to put a face to your
company. let your subscribers be a pari of
your journey, and have them with you as
you welcome the New Year.
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E-Newsletter Holiday Marketing Tips
E-newsletters allow your business to speak directly to your consumers. Some important
i'tems to include and promote:
Current and relevant seasonal content
Holiday-inspired visuals
Compelling news & updates
Free, exclusive content
Special discounts
Promotions to be cashed during the holidays
Promise your latest blog post, newest product, or discounted
service
Service or product re minders
Service or product-related w ish list
Partner with a charity and offer subscribers a chance
to donate
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Slogging during the holiday season is as ~
important as ever. Blogs are the fastest, easiest ~
way to keep your site's content fresh. They're
also highly sharable via social media networks ~
and have the potential to create Iorge
influxes of traffic. ~
Blogs offer the unique opportunity for your
company to conne-ct with clients. Like
e-newsletters, they're a great vehicle for
humanizing your company.
Take your blogging one step further and
encourage your readers to subscribe or leave
a testimonial in exchange for a holiday
promotion or free resources.
The rewards will function
as extra incentive for
consumer engagement.
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BLOGGING IDEAS FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS
For those businesses who sell services and not a specific product or products.
never fear. You con still optimize your blogs for the holidays. Offer a coupon
in the closing call-to-action and be sure to include an image for maximum
sharability.
Medical Service Provider: "Bring in the New Year Happy & Healthy"
Interior Design: "Make Santa Feel Welcome by Feng Shuing Your Home"
Real Estate: "Funny Gift ld eas for a Realtor" (Shirts that say "Realtors Need
More Closure", etc.)
Plumbing: "5 Ways to Keep Frosty From Freezing Your Pipes"
Attorney /Law: "1 0 Tips to Protect Yourself from Crazy Holiday Drivers"
Heating/AC/HVAC: "Keep Jack Frost from Nipping at Your Nose with Our
12 Days of Heating Maintena nee Tips"
Tip: If you're stumped on what to write about, check out sites like
Ubersuggest.org. Plug in a keyword and it will give you ideas
for blog topics. Or try searching Twitter. Type "how" or
"why" + your keyword to view a list of trending tweets
related to your topic.
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Having an active web presence an all your
social media networks is a must during the
holidays. People are off work and are looking
for ways to spend their time (and money.)
They're searching om line for where to go,
what to buy. and how quick and easy the
process can be completed.
J,_ ~ " f'
i:J ul<e ..J ~ ~ Like ._ 16 Like - 16 Like
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Facebook allows you to interact with your fans in a variety of ways:
Post special holiday offers on your company 's Facebook page leading
up to the new year. Host a 12 days of discounts campaign offering your
fans a discount a day for the 12 days of Christmas.
Have fans submit videos of their best Grinch (or something relevant to
your industry) impersonation.
Conduct a holiday poll asking your followers what they're most looking
forward to this holiday season.
Offer a coupon to fans if your "Like" count reOJches a certain number
by Christmas.
Conducting polls and holding contests and giveaways are great ways to
increase consumer interest and engagement as well as reward those
who frequent your Facebook page. It will create anticipation for what
you'll offer next, making your next campaign even more successful.
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TWITTER
Currently there are 100 million active Twitter users and businesses around the
globe are taking advantage of the exposure. No matter the size or the net
income of your company, you, too, can create a h ighly
effective Twitter campaign. To start off small, simply tweet
time-sensitive deals to your followers, and you'll quickly
find that the reason 32% of people retweet
content is due to discounts and promotional
offers.
Other Twitter campaigns you can try:
Offer o 35% discount to anyone who comes to
your store asking for "Santa," and promote it only
on Twitter.
Have followers post a pi cture of something related
to your industry and give away a prize a day for the
best picture.
Start an "Alii Want for Christmas" campaign wl1e1e
people tweet your product/service as what
they wont for Christmas.
As with most marketing ini tiatives, Twitter campaigns
can get as creative and involved as you wish. Try
out different campaigns and see what works for your target audience.
You may be surprised!
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PINTER EST
The holidays are extremely visual. Iconic images off turkeys, pilgrims, Santa
and 2012 googly-eyed glasses will soon be pervading your city streets and
storefronts. Pinterest is the visual social media marketing
tool of today's age. II is the virtual corkboard of the
Internet, where users can pin their favorite pic tures
l'o various boards and reference them later.
For businesses whose products or services
are visual. such as florists. chefs, or
photographers, having a Pinterest is a must.
If this sounds like your target demographic,it may be a good idea spend
same time holiday-proofing your Pinterest.
The most popular pins focus on do-it-yourself (DIY) projects, recipes, arts
and crafts, fashion, fitness, education, and the home. That being said,
pinning pictures of your business or product s simply won't cut it. Make
the pins useful to your audience.
If you're a plumber, pin a p icture of a model kitchen, linking it to an article
about DIY kitchen remodeling.
If you're a mechanic, you may want to pin a pic ture of a b lown
out tire and write a how-to list on steps for changing a flat tire.
A baker con pin a pictvre of your latest coke creation
and link to the recipe.
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There are plenty of social media sites to market your brand. You may also
choose Google+. Linkedln. or You Tube. just to no me a few. Any of these
campaign suggestions can be enhanced and tailored to the social
media site you want to use. Just be sure to track your results. rinse. and
repeal!
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WRAP-UP

As early as October. people begin actively searching for things to
buy and places to buy them from, making it the perfect storm for
businesses everywhere. Holiday shoppers are the epitome of the
low hanging fruit. and it 's in your business's best interest to ensure
your web presence is at its peak performance.
Whether you're a service provider or a retail store. your business
can benefit from holiday-proofing your web presence. Once
you've mastered these aspects of internet marketing. you may
want to take your holiday campaign to the next level and
partner with a chariiy or foundation to raise money and awareness
for a common issue or create a microsite for a specific campaign.
Keep in mind, however. that doing something small that 's really
great is better than doing something big that's subpar.
Work with the resources you have and, by al l means. push the limits.
In the end, you' II find the right balance of what works for your
business and will begin reaping the rewards of an innovative, well-
thought-out holiday makeover.
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ABOUT THE CREATORS

RACHEL KOPP. WRITER
Rachel Kopp works on the
Advice Interactive SEO
content team and focuses
on the research and creati on
of st ellar content for on-page
optimizati on, ebooks, and
blogs. Rachel attended the
University of Central Arkansas
and currently &ves in Dallas,
TX with her fiance, Jeremy
Morgan. and dog, Howard.
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KATIE RITTER WALSH, DESIGNER/
EDITOR
Katie Ritter Walsh works on the Advice
Interactive content writing team.
This includes implementing email
marketing strat egies as wei as creating
graphics and content for on-page
optimizati on. blogs and the Advice
monthly newsletter. Katie attended
Abilene Christian University and Texas
State University. She currently lives in
Dallas, TX w ith her husband, JP. and
puppy, Adelaide.
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2.. Fox, Zoe. "How Much Money Will Consumers Spend This Holiday Seos.on?
(INFOGRAPHtC] ." Mosho:ble. 1 Nov.2011.12Nov.2012.
<http://mashable.com/2011 J 11/01/consumers-holidoyoipendinlg/>.
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study-blogs-beof-focebook-frust-test "?poge=O, 1 >.
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HubSpot. 27 Feb. 2012. 12 Nov. 2012. <htfp:l/blog.hJbspot.com/bfogl
tobid/6307 /bid/31SSlJ/20-Fre sh-Stots-About-the-Stot e<>Mnboun.d-Mo-tketing-in-20 12.aspx>.
6. Sitalo, Matt. "Social Mecf10 St atistics of the Day." Avolaunch. 7 Dec. 2011. 12 Nov. 2012.



7. WossermQll, ToQQ, S-vccessful Twitter Ho:shtog Compo:ig:ns: Mc.uhgbfe, 23 Morch 2012.
12 Nov. 2012. <hftp://mashoble.com/2012}03/23/twitter
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8. Erickson, Christi ne. " 13 ' Pinteresting' Facts About Pinterest Users (INFOGRAPHC] . Mo:Shoble.
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