Advent calendars, which build consumer anticipation, are also used for marketing!
This strategy, which consists of revealing a tip, a contest, a discount coupon, an exclusive offer or high-value content (instead of a chocolate), grows every year. It must be said that this method helps drive audience engagement, increase brand visibility and accelerate sales.
So, how do you create your marketing Advent calendar? We reveal the 6 steps that turn this communications operation into a real success!
Step 1: Define a goal
As always, when launching a campaign, it’s important to define your objective. The more targeted it is, the more likely you are to achieve it.
Generally, a marketing Advent calendar allows you to:
Generate leads
Want to enrich your prospect database? Offer downloadable content, launch private sales or contests require newsletter sign-ups. You can gather qualified contacts for your future campaigns.
Boost social engagement
The digital Advent calendar offers a unique opportunity to boost your engagement on social media.
By posting daily for three and a half weeks, you will inevitably increase your visibility on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. That will encourage your community to interact!
All the more if you publish highly engaging content such as contestsdeals, humorous posts, or original tips.
Promote your products
During Advent, consumers come back every day for 24 days. That gives you 24 chances to inform them about the qualities of your products or services.
If possible, choose items that match the season and start with those that make excellent gifts for Christmas.
This good practice gives you time to order them before December 24th.
Get feedback from your customers
An Advent calendar also allows you to collect feedback from your customersWhen it has been running for several days and engagement is high, take the opportunity to ask about your brand, their favorite products and how they use them.
Design the questions to obtain data on needs, pain points, preferences and habits of your customers.
Step 2: Choose the daily campaigns
The Advent calendar has several options behind each door. These will depend on your goals!
Quizzes
They quizzes can take several forms: text, images, or videos. They are perfect for educating your customers, asking questions about your industry, collecting marketing insights, and promoting the qualities of your products.
Surveys
Ask users to vote between your products or services, ask them about their consumption or things they would like to improve in their daily lives.
You can also look into their habits to identify essential elements for building their typical days.
Think about any missing information on your prospects or information you need to update. This will help you design surveys relevant to your business.
Interactive videos
Fun and entertaining, your videos can lead your community to take actions: visit your website, download content, or simply share your post.
Games
Social networks are a place for entertainment! Invite your community to have fun by organizing a scavenger hunt, a contest, or a quiz that ends with a reward.
Try to make everyone a winner to stay in the spirit of Christmas. For example, offer vouchers or discount coupons to all participants to encourage purchases.
Premium content
Magazines, buying guides, white papers... Offer content that will answer the questions your audience has during this period. In exchange for this valuable advice, invite them to leave their contact details (email and name, postal address if you offer a print edition).
Besides helping your customers and prospects, this content proves your expertise and skills. Essential elements during the purchasing decision.
Step 3: Choose the rewards
At this stage, you need to examine what your company can offer its customers. Generally, the answer is found in these 5 options:
- Discounts on your products;
- Gift cards or vouchers;
- A free product or service;
- Free consultations, demonstrations, or assessments;
- Invitations to a special event.
At each step of your Advent calendar, ensure coherence between what you ask of your customers and the value of the reward. The greater the consumer's commitment, the more substantial the reward should be.
Step 4: Review terms and conditions and disclaimers
Each country and platform has its own set of rules. Consider posting them on your site or social networks to ensure compliance.
To that end, ask yourself the following questions:
- Does the participant's age determine eligibility?
- Can the customer exchange a gift for cash or another product?
Be sure to specify all the terms to avoid any confusion. Participants should be aware that by taking part in the Advent calendar they agree to share their contact details and other information with the company. It's also good to state that their data will not be sold to third parties.
Step 5: Prepare the content
Don't wait until the last minute to create the visual identity for your marketing Advent calendar! Think about every card, piece of content, banner, email, and advertisement that will accompany your campaign.
It's time to prepare a brief to delegate this task to your designers, or find a freelance designer if you don't have anyone in-house.
Doing it in advance ensures you're ready on the day. You can schedule your posts and newsletters. When you launch your calendar, you will only need to focus on handling the campaign's results.
Step 6: Promote your campaigns
Place a banner or pop-up on your website or blog. It should include a clear CTA and a direct link to your Advent calendar landing page.
You can use your existing customer list to run a communications campaign by email or SMS. If your Advent calendar will be shared on your social networks, start promoting it a few days beforehand. The goal is for your community to be ready and watching from day one.
Also consider Social Media Advertising who will publicize your campaign while helping you reach your goals.
Contact influencers in your industry to promote your calendar. This strategy gives you new visibility with a qualified audience.
Finally, if your product is sold by distribution partners, you can ask them to share your campaign.
Conclusion
The Advent period is a golden opportunity to boost your sales. During the campaign, remember to analyze the results. You can adjust your strategy if needed to make it easier to reach your goals!
However, preparing an Advent calendar requires a significant time investment to create your content (games, landing pages, banners, newsletters, social media posts…). Outsource the creation of some content by posting your ad for free on Codeur.com. You will receive quotes from professionals quickly!
