There’s always a holiday right around the corner it seems, whether it’s International Sibling Day or Christmas. These aren’t just great times to post funny or heartwarming pictures on your social media, either—with a little bit of planning, you can turn holidays and seasons into a key part of your affiliate marketing strategy.
The key is the planning part. If you’ve waited until the last minute to gather together some links and share them, then you might encounter some success. But if you take a look at the calendar now and consider events, holidays, and seasons coming up in the next three months, you can make a big push that can hopefully lead to more significant income. Not only that, but you can fully flesh out a strategy for your affiliate marketing links that makes sense, engages your audience, and reminds them of upcoming dates. Because so often these little holidays sneak up on us, and before we know it, they’ve passed.
Of course, every niche will have the holidays that are best for it, so select them wisely. Yes, it’s possible to increase your revenue by promoting seasonal products, but there’s no need to do it for every single holiday, ever. Pick and choose the ones that make the most sense to you and have the biggest potential for growth. Here are a few holidays to consider for your affiliate marketing strategy to include:
Christmas, Hanukkah, And The Holiday Season
This is a biggie, of course, but I’d be remiss not to mention it. After all, pretty much every niche can do some serious promoting here. Whether it’s camping and outdoor gear, pet care, children’s fashion, domestic travel, or modern furniture, put together something your audience will love: a gift guide.
Inevitably around this time of year, people are looking online not only for their loved ones but for themselves. If you’ve put together a list of ten items that all book-lovers will want, then those who have a bookworm on their list will be thrilled to find some great recommendations all in one place. Additionally, if they’re putting together their own wish list they might just include everything you’ve promoted.
The main downside to doing this is that everyone will be doing it so it can be hard to stand out. So remember: the more focused your niche, the better.
Back-To-School
August and September are a big time of the year for young kids in Kindergarten through 12th grade as well as college students. The typical offerings will be backpacks, pens, and other school supplies, but it’s possible to get creative here, too. Consider that a lot of the shopping for this demographic is actually being done by the parent. It’s possible to promote products and services that make back-to-school time easier on parents, like calendars, new phones, or delivery services. Because it can often feel like an optimistic and fresh start for many busy parents after a long, exhausting summer, appeal to their desire to stay organized and to keep life as easy as possible—as well as considering the budget constraints of your audience.
July 4th
While July 4th might not seem like a huge holiday, it’s a day that people get off of work and tend to enjoy for themselves. They might host a BBQ, go to a party, or even take a vacation to lounge by the beach. Even for people who don’t consider themselves terribly patriotic, it’s always nice to socialize or have a day to do whatever you feel like doing without worrying about work.
Think about how your client is probably going to celebrate their 4th of July. Will it be a relaxed day in watching television and ordering take-out? Will it be a camping trip or a luxury vacation somewhere? Will it be a big party with their closest friends?
Then consider how you can tie your niche into what they’re doing that day. Promote convenient gadgets to have around the house, party supplies, travel rewards programs, or camping gear. Remember that while we generally think of people celebrating with a backyard barbecue, that the key to success with July 4th promotion will be understanding what your audience wants to do that day. Then you can find the services and products that fit that and achieve that day for them.
New Year’s
To close up the holiday season, New Year’s acts as a shining beacon for the next 365 days to come. It’s also a time when people often feel like they’ve blown their budget and have very little money to spend. You should always consider the income and budget your audience has to make purchases, but definitely reassess and keep it in mind when promoting things around this time of year.
The good news is that many people make goals for the year or New Year’s resolutions to improve their lives, and you can build up their self-esteem and excitement by promoting products and services to help them make it happen. Whether it’s exercise equipment, budgeting software, or even those last few gifts that they just didn’t get over the holidays, you can help make the push to let them be the person they’ve always wanted to be.
Any Season—Winter, Spring, Summer, And Fall
When you think about summer, what do you think about? Swimming pools, the kids at home, or taking adventurous vacations? And what about winter? Do you picture snowfalls, heavy winter wear, and hot chocolate? Every season evokes different emotions, and it’s easy to forget that the changing of the seasons plays a large part in the needs of your audience. After all, campers need completely different gear in 20 degree weather than 90 degree weather. Parents are excited about outdoor toys and games for summertime and looking for fun board games for the winter. Health fanatics are going to require different diets and exercise regimens depending on the season.
So whatever the upcoming season, think about your audience and what that will mean for them in regards to your niche. If you can anticipate their needs, they’ll not only make more purchases but also gain your trust for the future.
