Marketing Monday Q&A: Marketing insights and holiday campaign ideas

Check out the full video here:

CMay: Here’s a quick list:

Classic publications:

• Fast Company
• Inc.

Quick reads:

• Mark Schaefer‘s {grow} Blog:
• Mark is a great speaker and writer who actually created the term “content shock.” Look it up.
• He’s a great source to use if you’re getting into social media marketing and blogging and would like to learn more about the field. He has a blog and a podcast which are easily accessible for marketers of all levels. He focuses on the quality side of marketing, rather than quantity, which we all know is the right angle.

• Gary Vaynerchuk’s newsletter
• Though these newsletters are not truly quick reads, they have valuable information throughout, if you have time to read them all.
• After sifting through the links and skimming all the way down to the bottom of the newsletter, you’ll find Gary V. has very timely, trending social platform news listed. Whether it’s a new filter for Snapchat or a new feature coming to Facebook, he knows what it is and why it’s important to marketers. You rarely find this curated content in one go-to spot, so take advantage of it.

• HubSpot Blog
• The beauty of Hubspot is that if you’re looking for something, they’ve probably touched on it at some point at almost every level. They cover all different aspects of marketing, so you’re sure to find something interesting or helpful.

• Business 2 Community Newsletter
• This newsletter is easy to look over and scan through in your inbox.

• For our designers, check out GFDA. Warning: This site and newsletter are not PG-13 for language.

Question 2: What are some creative holiday marketing ideas?

CMay: Tis the season to reach out to your customers.

Here’s a secret: This is the best time of year for B2B companies. During this season of giving, everything is retail-oriented as this is what people are thinking about.

Thanksgiving is a “safe” holiday, as well as New Year’s, as most people in the U.S. celebrate these in some way. This kind of season’s greeting will be less likely to create controversy with customers, and it’s probably best to avoid unnecessary controversy, altogether.

This is an excellent time of year to thank your customers for their patronage and wish them a good year. Capitalize on these excuses to reach out to your customers and keep them thinking about you throughout the holiday season.

It is also time to start thinking about holiday gifts for clients and potential clients. A holiday party for customers can sometimes be a tax write off, depending on your state.

Say thank you; wish people a good year; or maybe introduce a referral program or other incentive.

Don’t just do a lame holiday party on a workday afternoon.

Question 3: How do you capitalize on the holiday to advertise your business?

CMay: Leverage social media hashtags, but only when appropriate.

There seems to be a #National____Day almost every day. Seriously, who comes up with these?

Trending hashtags and social media holidays can be fun additions to your feeds, but there is a right way to incorporate them into your marketing strategy.

Don’t be shameful with your hashtagging. Instead, make sure you plan ahead and choose hashtags that fit your brand and personas. Ask yourself if your personas will find value in this. Will posts with these hashtags drive you towards a certain KPI or goal?

If it doesn’t align with any of your goals or truly fit your brand, perhaps it's best to avoid posting about #NationalChocolateCoveredAnythingDay on December 16.

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Catch each episode on Mondays at 6 p.m., live on Facebook.