The 4th of July is just around the corner. Quality inbound and social media marketing are a continuous process. You need to generate new content all the time. You may begin with a flood of ideas, but as with anything, you will sometimes experience plateaus or writer's block. Taking advantage of special occasions like holidays are a great way to generate new and useful content in all sorts of ways.
As the 4th of July approaches, we've incorporated a few ideas for you to incorporate Independence Day into your digital strategy this year.
Take Advantage Of 4th Of July Themes
- Map or connect to current events. Where are the best places in the city to see fireworks? Which communities in the area have the best parade? Which restaurants are hosting brunch the next day? Everyone wants to get an inside tip about where to see the 4th of July sights and sounds this year. A map of fireworks locations, parades, or other timely events yields quality content people can consume. This content can be hosted on your blog or social media sites.
- Host a giveaway. Giveaways are a great way to build relationships, drive traffic to your website, and encourage leads. What kind of giveaway would make sense for your company? Is there another business you can partner with for a giveaway and cross-promotion? Is a raffle (driven by digital strategies) appropriate? Or do you simply want to encourage digital inbound leads to meet you in person for a pre-holiday cookout? A giveaway doesn't have to be costly or time-consuming. The giveaway can even be a piece of digital content.
- Join the celebration. Authentic, quality content always wins. If your company is hosting a potluck, cookout, or other celebration leading up to the 4th of July, posting content with a photo can “put a face to a name.” Authentic content like this builds credibility. Make sure you're not just posting a random photo. All of your digital content needs to fit with your overall digital marketing strategy.
- Re-post current trends. Are traditional barbecue foods fading into the background this year? Are there new safety regulations for fireworks in your location? There may be creative ways you can connect seasonal current trends to your business. Pinterest and other social media platforms provide some interesting information about what aspects of the celebration have grown or shrunk in popularity, and news items always yield interesting content. As you build out this content, make sure you keep the SEO trends of 2018 in mind.
- Take advantage of visual themes. With fireworks, food, and red, white, and blue, the 4th of July is a visually-oriented holiday. Whatever kind of content you post during the week of Independence Day, you can incorporate tasteful, seasonal themes into your social, email, and website strategies. There are plenty of free-use graphics and photos online, or you can create your own.
- Use your homepage. This point builds on the idea of visual themes. Your homepage need not be completely static, and there may be some interesting ways to refresh or add elements to it so that every visitor gets a taste of Independence Day festivities. This temporary refresh can also connect to special sales or other promotions. It's sure to catch the eye of regular website visitors who are used to the same look.
The Importance Of A Digital Marketing Strategy
As one of the biggest celebrations in the nation draws closer, you can feel the excitement in the air. Families are buying their fireworks and planning their picnic menus. Red white and blue everything from socks to streamers have begun selling like hotcakes and everyone is getting their parade flags ready to wave proudly. But as a business, no doubt you are asking yourself: How can we use this nation-wide enthusiasm to some benefit?
The good news is you don't have to sell hairbows or flags to improve your marketing and sales results during this very special holiday. All you need to do is get into the mood and your audience will happily join you. To help, here are four more ways to incorporate 4th of July celebration into your current digital marketing strategy.
Social Media: Ask Customers To Share Their 4th Of July Plans
Getting your audience involved by using your inbound marketing strategy and social media is easy to do for almost any holiday. People are already abuzz with their plans and preparations to make this 4th of July the biggest and best one ever. People who light bonfires are already stacking up branches, those who throw barbecues are testing their marinade recipes, and even those who stay in for a movie marathon are putting together their playlists. And, they are dying to share their plans.
You can create a very lively online discussion with your social media community, and everyone they know, simply by getting your audience to share their plans for the 4th of July. The best way to open is by sharing a little something about your own company or team. Consider a few fun posts about what members of your team are doing or, if you're throwing a big company 4th of July celebration, share your plans with lots of fun preparation pictures. Then invite your community to join in and share their own plans.
Inbound Marketing: How Our Product Helps You Celebrate July 4th
Some products are easy to relate to the 4th of July, like ribbons or kebab skewers. While others (like software) are somewhat more challenging. But don't let that stop you from writing an amazing blog post or three. July 4th is a great time to get a lot of new blog post readers, as people get into the summer holiday spirit and with a well-written article, you can significantly boost both readership and interest during this time.
The key is to get creative. Think of one or a few ways your products (or services) can help customers enjoy their 4th of July celebrations. If the connection isn't obvious, consider an article about how your product promotes freedom and independence or how using your service will free up time for more fireworks and pulled pork sandwiches.
Product Promotions: Land Of The Free Shipping
If you sell a physical product online, there is one fantastic way to celebrate the 4th that both new and returning customers will love: Free shipping. This holiday is all about freedom and, to a certain extent, the ability to conduct commerce in a way that is beneficial for your business and community. The best way to do this is with a promotion that promises to get deliveries to their home in time for the celebration. Invest in some festive patriotically colored boxes and packing material and encourage customers to purchase promptly to claim their land-of-the-free shipping.
Lead Conversion: Independence Day Membership Deals
Finally, don't forget that independence and freedom make people excited about investing in the future. The 4th is a holiday of enthusiasm and new beginnings, like New Years in the summer. This is the perfect time to increase your membership count and up-sell current members by offering a special Independence Day membership deal. Even a small discount on a full-year subscription or a one-month free trial can be enough to turn leads into conversions this July.
The 4th of July is a wonderful and exciting time of year for everyone in America and for Americans all over the world. By celebrating with your customers, you can use that enthusiasm and positive forward momentum for your business as well as for company morale as you all wave little flags and make barbecue plans.
Seasonal content is just a small part of the digital marketing strategy puzzle. An integrated digital marketing strategy based on data is essential for the inbound marketing and social media success of any business. The Friedman Group, LLC works with companies like yours to plan and carry out a digital marketing strategy. If you are looking for an integrated, effective, and efficient approach to email marketing, inbound marketing, social media, and more, contact us today.
