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. Holiday­proofing 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 w ill 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 holiday­proofing 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 m plified during the holiday season when consumers scour advertisements and the web for the best deals out there. Specia l holiday offers d isplayed prominently on your

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site' s main page may g ive an online customer ~ the extra push to purchase or schedule services.

~ Discounts and promotional codes can be used in a variety of places: thank you pages, emails. social media sites, etc. Throughout the rest of this guide, we' II delve further into where and how best to display holiday deals.

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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 lo t of leeway to create a user ~

spirit. Create an inviting a tmosphere experience that 's overflowing with holiday ~

that people want to shop in.

Your goal is to create a user experience that 's ~ both attractive and promotes traffic a nd sales. The simplest way to do this is to decorate. ~

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CYBERSPACE DECORATING INSPIRATION

Feature red & green bordered coupons o n the main page.

Use related holiday-specific images on your blog posts.

Make simple design changes to 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 w ith your design team to enhance the look and feel of your website. b log

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 accomplishments 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

Pro mise your latest b log post, newest product, or d iscounted 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.

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1...-- --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 d iscounts 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 a nd holding contests and giveaways are great ways to increase consumer interest and engagement as w ell 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 picture of something related to your industry and give away a prize a day for the best picture.

• Start an "Alii Want for Christmas" campaign wl1e1·e people tweet your product/service as what they wont for Christmas.

As w ith most marketing initiatives, 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 g lasses will soon be pervading your c ity 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 p ic 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 products 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 p ic 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 tha t's subpar.

Work with the resources you have and, by all 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, well­thought-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 creation of st ellar content for on-page optimization, ebooks, and blogs. Rachel attended the University of Centra l 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 optimization. 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.

SOURCES CITED

1. Arbesmon, Oebto M . "Coupons Me Good For the Bottom Line.'" Compete P\As.e. 8 Jun. 2010. 12 Nov. 2012. 4'lttp://blog.compete.com/20 10/06108/ coupons-ore-good-for-the-bottom-line/>.

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/>.

3 . WordPress. ''How Many People Reod Slogs on Wcrd'press.com?'' Word Press. n.d. 12 Nove. 2012. <http://e.n.wcrdpress.com/stats/>.

+.Stone, Usa. "BiogHer 2012 Study: Blogs Beot Focebook in Trust Test:' BlogHer. 14Morch 2012 . 12 Nov. 2012 . <http://vvww.blogher.com/blogher-2012-study-blogs-beof-focebook-frust-test "?poge=O, 1 >.

5 . Miller, Mefisa. '"20 Fresh Stats AbOIVt the State o f Inbound Marketing i n 2012.." HubSpot. 27 Feb. 2012. 12 Nov. 2012. <htfp:l/blog.hJbspot.com/bfogl tobid/6307 /bid/31SSlJ/20-Fre sh-Stots-About-the-Stote<>Mnboun.d-Mo-tketing-in-20 12.aspx>.

6. Sitalo, Matt. "Social Mecf10 Statistics of the Day." Avolaunch. 7 Dec. 2011. 12 Nov. 2012. <http://ovalaunchmedia.com/infographics/socio~medio-stotistics-of4the~ay>.

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/twitter4 hashtag-co:mpoigns/>

8 . Erickson, Christine. " 13 'Pinteresting' Facts About Pinterest Users (INFOGRAPHC] . Mo:Shoble. 25 Feb 2012. 12 Nov. 2012. <h ttp:/Jmashable.com/2012/02/25/pinterest --user­demogrophics/>