3 Ways to Cash In On National Holidays

Since the creation of Hallmark holidays such as Father's Day (not that we don't appreciate our dads), there are more holidays to celebrate than ever.

While you might want to leave out International Talk Like a Pirate Day and National Accordion Awareness Month (it's June BTW), tailoring your marketing and advertising to the season's festivities is a smart way to attract people's attention and stay relevant.

This spring I was spending some time working at a photography studio where they had live bunnies for the Easter season. It was amazing how many moms were determined to get their babies photographed with bunnies as if their very lives depended on it. When the holiday fog begins to descend, it's hard for people to think of much else!

With Independence Day just around the corner, here are some helpful hints to put the spirit of the season in your favor.

Dish Out Discounts

Even just renaming a "sale" as an "Independence Day special" can have a big impact. People see sales every day, but a "salute to savings" discount!? That comes but once a year! Free or discounted "holiday shipping" is another nice touch and keeps you competitive.

Gifts/Activities Roundup Page

Consider a blog post or other page that is relevant to an upcoming holiday and features some of your products -- for example, you could put together a "10 Father's Day Presents Under $50" list (completely with links to the product pages), or "10 Things to Do as a Family for Independence Day." People want to get outside to celebrate the summer weather and will gladly receive some friendly suggestions. A list like this would also make a good guest post, and get your content and offerings in front of some new eyes.

Create a Holiday PPC Campaign

Keyword Strategy

• Add words unique to the season; if you're selling cakes, turn them into "patriotic cakes, red white and blue cakes, holiday cakes, easter cakes, etc." Experiment with Google Insights or Google Correlate to see what terms are most popular for the season.

Ad Copy

• Use holiday terms in your headings and body text. "Celebrate July 4 With..."

Landing Page

• The holiday festivities should show on your landing page. Can you imagine someone clicking your exciting ad heralding "Perfect Patriotic Pastries!" only to find a bland and standard landing page? Consider tweaking your headings, adjusting some color schemes, or adding some holiday-themed graphics (keep it tasteful though -- no gigantic screaming eagles or blinking fireworks).

• Take a moment to reflect on what your biggest selling items were in the past year, and put those items front and center on your landing page with a seasonal twist.

Know the Big Days

• Keep in mind the important holiday gift shopping days. Especially when the Christmas shopping season begins, there are a couple specific days you should adjust your PPC campaign for. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are huge, so be ready for them! Father's Day, obviously, will be big if carry man-centric offerings.

Treat the holidays right and you'll boost sales and have a big advantage over any lazy competitors who take no notice of the changing seasons.