With younger B2B buyers spending more time on mobile devices and responding to visually appealing imagery and videos on social media, marketers are shifting their efforts away from more traditional forms of holiday campaigns. If your marketing team tips for B2B holiday campaigns, let these ideas and campaigns inspire you.
B2B holiday campaigns to consider
Offer an info session
Just as your company’s employees are hoping to have a stress-free and profitable holiday season, so, too, are your clients. Brainstorm holiday or end-of-year challenges for which your brand or company provides solutions, and then create an informational seminar that highlights the features and benefits for your target audience.
Need an example? When IBM wanted to ensure its clients were prepared to handle the growing security risks, volumes, and expectations of increased responsiveness during the holidays, the company offered a late-November webcast on improving and securing supply chain capabilities.
Highlight client success stories
As a brand, you can tell your clients about the features and benefits of your products or services, but hearing an authentic success story from a real-life user can be far more convincing. Choose a success story that will resonate with your target audience and create a holiday campaign that includes them talking about their journey in their own words.
Shopify enlisted the assistance of 18-year-old Drew Davis, who created Crippling Hot Sauce as a school project and grew the business to success. Sharing his video on YouTube, Shopify was able to hone in on Drew’s entrepreneurism and fundraising to highlight his plans going into his first-ever holiday shopping season.
Launch a new product or service
It may seem counterintuitive to launch a new product or service right before the holidays, but when done well, an end-of-year reveal can generate both buzz and profits.
Office supply giant Staples knew that many businesses try to use up their budget at the end of the year to increase their annual expenses for tax deductions and help decrease the chances of budget cuts in the new year. The company introduced its AutoRestock program in mid-November 2022 to increase automatic orders and promoted it on social media, including Facebook.
Create a holiday parody
Entertaining videos can take brands far in attracting attention, but with a bit of creativity, you can also turn an otherwise dull B2B campaign into truly helpful content.
Curious what that might look like? Check out what business consultant group Ethixlink did in November to help prepare its clients for end-of-year compliance with this useful parody of the 12 Days of Christmas on LinkedIn.
Design a quiz
People love taking quizzes to discover more about themselves or their business. The interactivity of the questions allows them to feel as though they’re learning something, which can then be turned into action in some cases.
Corporate travel platform Egencia asked LinkedIn followers, “What kind of business traveler are you?” before the big holiday travel rush in 2022. The link led readers to an article highlighting the four types of business travelers and tips and hacks to consider before their next trip.
Show a variety of influencers
Influencer marketing has officially found its way into B2B campaigns. You’ll find influencers, guest bloggers, vloggers, and even celebrity (or at least industry-famous) influencers touting everything from credit cards to tech. One group of influencers you should showcase in your B2B holiday campaigns is your employees. They often provide not only a fresh face but also a trusted voice for audiences.
Video communication company Zoom shared this clip of their employees on a group video conference call five days before Christmas 2022. The TikTok video displayed team members with various Christmas or vacation-themed backgrounds and attire.
Use holiday-themed imagery
Recommending holiday-themed imagery — including photos, videos, emojis, and even fonts — in your B2B holiday campaign might seem an obvious suggestion. But too often, corporations shy away from such displays, deeming them as potentially alienating, cutesy, or simply inappropriate. But there are ways to include nods to Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa that are neither performative nor unprofessional.
On Twitter, e-commerce lending platform Onramp Funds reminded e-commerce sellers to break down their holiday season efforts into two main categories: demand generation and demand fulfillment. The campaign was complemented by a Christmas tree emoji and an image of a woman using a tablet from the comfort of a couch with just a hint of Christmas decor in the background. The text was accompanied by a link to an article on the Onramp website entitled “Winning eCommerce Holiday Marketing Strategies to Boost Sales.”
If you’ve been tasked with marketing for a B2B brand or company, check out these examples of low-key but effective holiday campaigns. Use the tips and strategies outlined above to determine the best approach to reach buyers on the social media platforms where your target audience spends the most time.
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Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
IZEA MANAGED SERVICES
Strategy and execution from the company that launched the industry.
