Designing an Effective Holiday Campaign: Your business doesn't have to take a vacation during the holidays

Holiday Greetings
Savvy marketers and entrepreneurs all know any holiday is a good excuse to touch base with past clients and prospects. For most it is an excuse to send out advertising.

But why stop at just one (especially if you use the Internet)?

Maximize the advertising potential of holiday missives by planning a holiday campaign that includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year's Day and weekly emails after Thanksgiving.

E-cards and online newsletters cost almost nothing, but you should still send out a physical holiday card. Taking the time to send a traditional card, preferably with a handwritten note and signature, means something in an impersonal world.

New Trends on Political Correctness
Political correctness is the accepted business standard today, especially during the holiday season when various faiths and traditions converge.

However, sending a Christmas card to someone who celebrates Christmas and a Hanukkah message to someone who celebrates Hanukkah can be an effective personal touch.

Be careful though: you may end up insulting your clients if you rely on mistaken assumptions about their faith or traditions. Before you send out a personalized, tradition-specific message, take the time to confirm the recipient actually celebrates that holiday.

Also, be careful not to debase the holidays with cheap sales-driven gimmicks. Many people do take their traditions seriously. If they perceive your correspondence as an attempt to exploit their tradition, your marketing will backfire.

Taking Advantage of Down Times

A drop-off in business is natural for many insurance agents. That's still no excuse to take a five-week holiday vacation.

In such cases, your holiday marketing plan will have two complementary goals: to minimize the drop off in sales during the holidays and to increase the spike-up when the New Year begins.

To maximize your sales, try to build a sense of urgency in your October and November correspondences. Remind consumers how busy the holidays are going to be and encourage them with early offers to obtain or upgrade their insurance coverage right away.

For example, you could give them a "Pre-Holiday Health Insurance Check Up."

The New Year is a time for resolutions and new goals, which carry their own sense of urgency. Assist potential clients in launching their new year on the right foot by quickly checking off their insurance needs from their list of things to do. Your New Year's mailings should go out immediately after Christmas, so it doesn't get lost in the traffic.

Don't Forget to Breathe

Finally, having a holiday season marketing campaign doesn't mean you shouldn't take time off to celebrate it yourself. For many busy agents, the last week of the year may be the only time they can take time off, take a breath and prepare for another busy year.

Spending time with one's family has become a holiday advertising platitude for many, but it still has meaning and urgency in our increasingly hyper-productive world.