Why Holiday B2B Marketing and Lead Generation Makes the New Year Sparkle
Worried about sales drying up over the Holidays? You're not alone.
With retail getting all the love between November and the beginning of the year, you may be tempted to kick back and relax throughout the end-of-year holiday season. But that’s what everyone else is doing. So why not take advantage of the slowest time of year for most non-retail businesses?
Here’s why now is the perfect time to keep your B2B marketing and lead generation efforts going strong:
With most non-retail businesses slowing down, you have the unique opportunity to stand out, capture attention, and build momentum for the new year while competitors are hibernating. Don’t let the holidays be an excuse for missed opportunities—let’s turn this quiet time into your secret weapon for future growth.
The Unexpected Gift of Holiday Lead Generation
Ready to unwrap a pipeline full of leads come January 2nd? In this article, we’re going to show you how. We’ll offer up some B2B holiday campaign ideas to keep your brand merry and bright in the eyes of your prospects, and we will share our best tips and tricks to make sure your time spent perfecting your marketing collateral and updating your CRM results in a new year full of opportunities.
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Why Holiday Lead Generation Gives You an Edge to Sleigh the Competition
While competitors are settling in for a long winter’s nap, you can use this time to position yourself for a profitable Q1. By keeping your marketing and lead generation campaigns active, you'll capture new opportunities and build momentum that others might miss.
Fewer Elves in the Workshop: Reduced Competition
With fewer of your competitors vying for attention over the holidays, decision-makers are more accessible. There’s often reduced pressure to hit major productivity milestones at work, so minds are more relaxed and open to new opportunities. Use this time to reach out with thoughtfully-crafted messaging to capture their attention when others are less likely to be running competitive campaigns.
Pro Tip: Give your audience a break from the usual salesy content by keeping your emails and social media posts light and informative. Boost your message with a festive tone, and make sure you include something helpful as they wrap up their year.
Deck the Halls With New Plans: Business Leaders are in Planning Mode
The holiday season isn’t just about taking a well-deserved break—it’s also a time when many decision-makers, just like you, begin reflecting on the past year. You’re probably evaluating what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve for the year ahead.
As you tidy up business operations, assess your goals, and finalize budgets, you’re not alone. This quieter time is when leaders often step back, strategize, and lay the groundwork for success in the coming year. People are often more relaxed, open to new ideas, and ready to discuss solutions. Connecting with prospects during this planning phase allows you to align your offerings with their projected needs and objectives.
Pro Tip: Frame your outreach around how your product or service can help them hit those last-minute end-of-year targets or get off to a running start in the new year.
Don’t Let Your Feeds Go Frosty: Keep Your Socials Warm Through the Holidays
While professional platforms like LinkedIn may see a dip in activity during the holidays, other social media platforms tend to see an uptick as people have more downtime to scroll and engage. Prospects often turn to platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to connect with friends, family, and their favorite brands during this period.
This makes it an excellent time to stay visible, nurture relationships, and plant the seeds for future engagement. Even if LinkedIn traffic slows down, being active on more casual platforms can keep your brand top-of-mind.
Pro tip: Tailor your content for more casual, engaging platforms like Instagram or Facebook, where users are likely spending their holiday downtime.
Wrap Up Those Budgets: Year-End Budget Opportunities
Some companies have “use it or lose it” budget policies, motivating decision-makers to finalize their spending before the year ends. This creates a valuable opportunity for your business to offer solutions that align with their goals and help them allocate leftover funds. Whether it's closing a deal or initiating conversations for the new year, providing timely offers or discounts during this period can lead to quick wins and lay the groundwork for long-term partnerships.
Pro tip #1: Craft your messaging around how your product or service can help prospects maximize their year-end budget and seamlessly transition into the new year with enhanced value.
Pro tip #2: If prospects are in a hurry to finalize their year-end spending, an increased ad spend will capitalize on additional social media activity.
‘Tis the Season for Spending: Capitalize on the Buying Mindset
During the holidays, people are already in a spending mindset—whether for gifts, travel, or year-end investments. This heightened focus on spending makes prospects more receptive to a well-crafted B2B sales pitch. Business decision-makers are not only finalizing personal purchases, but also thinking about how to allocate resources for the new year. A timely, compelling offer that highlights value and return on investment is more likely to resonate when your audience is already in a purchasing frame of mind.
Pro tip: Use festive language in your outreach, positioning your product or service as the perfect "gift" to help your prospects achieve their goals in the new year.
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B2B Marketing and Lead Generation Ideas that Jingle All the Way to the Bank
Ready to put that third glass of eggnog down and give yourself the gift of a profitable new year? Here are some ideas to give your holiday B2B marketing and lead generation campaigns a lasting impact:
Optimize Your Inbound Strategy
Are your landing pages converting as well as they could? Is your content up to date? This is a great time to make sure that everything is running smoothly so you can capture leads over the break. Use the slower pace of the holidays to review and optimize your inbound lead generation efforts.
Revise your content library to answer the questions your prospects have most often, and give your sales team assets that can help reduce the time they spend educating potential customers.
Bonus Assignment: An infographic is 30 times more likely to be read than a text article. Unleash your inner Bob Ross with a free Canva account, and spend some time turning your educational content into an easy-to-digest visual work of educational art.
Stay Active on Social Media
During the holidays, your audience is spending more time scrolling through social media, and you don’t want to miss the opportunity to connect with them. Instead of just adding to the noise, use this time to stand out with content that speaks directly to their needs and interests.
Create posts that are not only festive but also provide value—whether it’s through helpful tips, lighthearted holiday messages, or behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business. To make the most of your efforts, schedule posts in advance to keep a consistent presence without burning yourself out during the busiest time of year.
Bonus Assignment: Make sure your content isn’t just adding to the holiday noise. As an assignment, use holiday-themed hashtags like #HolidayMarketing or #NewYearNewGoals to target an audience actively searching for seasonal solutions.
Then, create a branded hashtag (e.g., #YourBrandHolidayTips) to keep your posts recognizable and easily searchable. Report back on the increase in visibility and how it impacted your engagement metrics
Create Educational and Festive Content
Want to add some extra sparkle to your holiday content? Use the festive season to create content that not only educates but also entertains. Don your Santa hat or reindeer antlers and host a holiday-themed webinar or virtual event to deliver valuable insights and connections to your B2B audience. This approach keeps your brand front and center, showcasing your expertise in a way that feels helpful rather than promotional.
Bonus Assignment: Craft a downloadable holiday resource, like a guide or checklist, that offers both festive fun and practical tips. This gives your audience something useful and helps strengthen your brand’s relationship with them.
Don’t Forget About Your Existing Clients
Do you have some of the best clients anyone could ask for? The holidays are the perfect time to express your gratitude. A simple thank you email, a digital postcard, or even a personalized gift or handwritten card can strengthen your relationship with existing clients, setting the stage for more business in the new year. You could also ask for feedback or invite them to be a part of your future plans, like testing a new service or product offering.
Bonus Assignment: Include a year-in-review in your email newsletter, highlighting achievements, milestones, and how you helped clients meet their goals. Add lots of emotive imagery to keep your audience engaged.
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Use Your Holiday Marketing Campaign to Expand Your Database
Don’t miss out on great opportunities for future business! Not everyone is ready to buy during the holidays, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be valuable leads next year or the year after. Boost your inbound marketing assets and offer valuable content, like a downloadable guide or an ebook, in exchange for email addresses.
Bonus Assignment: Create a festive landing page that offers a festive promotional giveaway in exchange for email sign-ups. Ensure the design and messaging feel seasonal to make it irresistible and set the stage for nurturing those leads in the new year.
Creative B2B Lead Gen & Awareness Ideas for Extra Holiday Cheer
Just plain tired of pushing the sales angle of your business for the year? Sometimes, giving back and showing your company’s human side can do wonders for lead generation. Here are a few more creative ways to make the most of the holiday season:
Partner with a Charity or Host a Holiday Fundraiser
Aligning your business with a cause during the holiday season is more than just a good deed—it’s an opportunity to showcase your company’s values in action. Whether you partner with a local charity or organize a holiday fundraiser, you’re building goodwill with your community and demonstrating your commitment to social responsibility.
Not only does this help those in need, but it also fosters deeper connections with your audience by showing that your business cares about more than just profit. When people see your values in action, they’re more likely to trust and engage with your brand. And as a bonus, this genuine display of purpose can boost brand awareness, creating long-term loyalty with potential leads who share similar values.
Bonus Assignment: Identify a cause or charity that aligns with your company’s values and organize a holiday fundraiser or volunteer event. Create a campaign around your efforts—share your story on social media, highlighting why this cause matters to your team.
Encourage your audience to get involved, either by donating or participating. After the event, share the results and reflect on the impact it made, both for the charity and your company. Track engagement to measure how the initiative strengthened your relationship with existing and potential clients.
Offer End-of-Year Discounts
If it aligns with your business model, consider offering a year-end discount or special promotion. This can help push prospects who are on the fence about purchasing, especially those looking to make final use of their 2023 budget.
Bonus Assignment: Create a limited-time holiday offer page showcasing your year-end discounts with festive design elements like countdown timers to create urgency. Include a promotional code and make it easy for prospects to share the offer on social media, encouraging further reach and engagement. Track clicks and redemptions to measure how well the discount drives last-minute purchases.
General Tips and Tricks for a Holly Jolly Campaign
Holiday B2B marketing and lead generation campaigns can be tricky to navigate, but they are highly rewarding when done right. As you launch your holiday lead generation efforts, keep these tips in mind to ensure success:
Prioritize Your Best Leads
The holidays are a great time to get in contact with business leaders who are available, but keep in mind that it’s a hectic time of year. Without a strategy, vacations, PTO, and the general holiday rush can have you running in circles. If your goal is to close deals, make sure you’re focusing your efforts on the leads most likely to convert. Use your CRM to segment and prioritize the prospects who have shown the most interest or who are most aligned with your offerings.
Focus on Filling Your Pipeline
The holidays offer a golden opportunity to focus on filling your pipeline, setting your business up for success in the new year. While some prospects may not be ready to buy immediately, keeping your lead generation efforts active ensures you're nurturing relationships that could convert early in Q1.
Don’t Perform Outreach on Actual Holidays
While it’s a good idea to stay active throughout the holiday season, it’s important to respect the key cultural and religious holidays observed by your audience. Schedule automated outreach for the days leading up to and after major holidays, but avoid sending marketing emails on days like Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Day, and other significant celebrations such as Winter Solstice and Three Kings' Day.
Being mindful of these holidays shows respect for your audience’s diverse traditions and helps foster stronger, more positive relationships.
Reach Out on Fridays
Fridays during the holiday season are a great time for outreach. People are often in a more relaxed, positive mood and may be more open to conversation, especially with a friendly, festive tone.
Focus on Next Year’s Goals
When reaching out to leads, emphasize how your products or services can help them hit the ground running in 2025. Show empathy by acknowledging the busy season and position your offering as a solution for their future plans.
Keep the Sparkle Going
Want a little extra holiday cheer this year? Imagine being greeted with an inbox full of qualified leads when you return to the office in the new year. You’ve worked hard through 2024. You found the perfect gifts for everyone on your list. You gave to charity, and you even survived Whamageddon. You deserve to hit the ground running for Q1!
Holiday lead generation isn’t just about making sales during the slowest time of the year. It’s about setting your business up for success in 2025. By staying active, maintaining a presence, and offering value, you can build relationships, fill your pipeline, and make the new year sparkle with opportunity.