People are more receptive and in a giving spirit during the holidays. This leads to a 500% higher submission rate for testimonial requests in December compared to any other month, creating a prime opportunity to gather valuable social proof for the year ahead.
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At year-end, package content using superlatives like 'most downloaded' or 'most viewed.' This strategy leverages social proof, as consumers inherently trust what's popular with others. It works regardless of your audience size and taps into the 'catch-up' mentality prevalent during this season.
In December and January, B2B buyers are actively planning for the new year. Instead of generic content, offer mid-funnel tools like a "vendor comparison checklist" or "RFP kickstart kit." These capture high-intent prospects who are in the process of evaluating or changing their business vendors.
It's tempting to postpone foundational work like data integration until the slower post-holiday period. However, the holiday sales surge provides the richest dataset for testing, learning, and setting up automations. Building this foundation during Q4 allows insights to compound, driving more sustainable growth throughout the following year.
December and January are prime for lead generation, contrary to popular belief. By offering content that signals buying intent (e.g., vendor comparisons, gift finders), marketers can tap into the year-end mindset of changing vendors, last-minute shopping, and making donations, outperforming generic top-of-funnel content.
Before accepting an affiliate, require that they have personally used your product and can provide a transformation testimonial. This ensures their promotion is authentic and compelling. Affiliates motivated by genuine belief will always outperform those just seeking a commission.
Move beyond generic discounts by framing offers around the customer's immediate, often unspoken, intent. For example, a "last minute hero finder" speaks directly to the urgency of holiday shopping, while a "donation impact calculator" targets the specific motivations of year-end charitable giving, making the offer more compelling.
Your email signature is valuable, underutilized real estate. Adding a simple holiday-focused message, a thank you, and a link to 'best of the year' content can increase CTRs by over 40% in December as you're reaching highly relevant business contacts.
Animated GIFs in emails see their highest performance during the November-December period. This seasonal lift is attributed to audiences being in a more receptive and festive mood, making it a prime time to test this tactic for increased engagement and to stand out in crowded inboxes.
In December, audiences are naturally reflective about the past year and looking ahead to the next. Running polls on social media related to year-end achievements or goals can generate 250% higher engagement than standard posts, sparking conversation and providing valuable audience insights.
The end of the year creates a specific consumer mindset focused on reflection and catching up, popularized by Spotify Wrapped. Brands can capitalize on this by creating their own 'best of' content, meeting a pre-existing audience expectation and leveraging a cultural moment for higher engagement.