140+ Inspirational Content Ideas to Fill Your December Marketing Calendar

According to statistics, 92% of Americans plan to celebrate the major December holidays, including Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. This is great news for eCommerce, as people will shop for gifts. National Retail Federation statistics say, consumers plan to spend an average of $900 on the winter holidays. Two-thirds of that amount will be spent on gifts and the rest on food, candy, decorations, and greeting cards.

People are ready to spend, so eCommerce businesses should help them choose products. They also need to get customers in the holiday spirit. Physical stores solve this task by decorating storefronts, creating an ambiance, and playing appropriate music. eCommerce businesses create a festive vibe through the website design and marketing campaigns. This article provides tips on creating a catchy campaign across all channels. We've also included interesting topics for December promotions because the month is not just about Christmas.

Top 12 December Campaign Tips

No matter what holiday you'll focus on this December, the following tips will give you some creative impulse to get inspired.

• Efficient December subject lines. A subject line is the first thing people see when receiving your email. Headlines for web and mobile push notifications and App Inbox messages have the same impact. So you want to do better than just Christmas Sales. Describing all the advantages of your offer in about 10 words isn’t easy, but the juice is worth the squeeze. You have only one chance to catch the attention, so don’t waste it with regular wording.
• Emoji. Relevant symbols in a subject line and headline can help your email and messages make it through an overcrowded Inbox. Make sure you stick to commonly accepted emojis that convey no double meaning.
• Smart animation. A well-placed GIF adds entertaining vibes even to a plain-text email.

Watch the size though, as too many heavy images may distort the message layout. You can also add an animated image to the widget to attract visitors' attention.

• Relevant humor. A couple of sharp sentences, a custom CTA, and a promo code with fun celebration references — holidays are all about laughter and entertainment, so don’t be afraid to go for a humorous angle.
• Wordplay. Get creative with the text. Let your brand personality shine using the old sophisticated language of Charles Dickens’ novels, adapting a couple of lines from popular carols, or even coming up with your own short poem or haiku.

• Urgency. Countdown timers work perfectly when it comes to speeding up decision making. People don’t like missing out on opportunities, so consider reminding your customers that the lucrative deal expires in a day or even hours. Such time-sensitive phrases as Final Sale, Supply Is Limited, # Left in Stock, etc. would help get the job done. Add timers to your emails and widgets to increase the effect of urgency.
• Promo code. Free shipping and discount codes have the best chances to be used and generate a purchase. And since most December celebrations are family holidays, consider including several codes for your customers and their family and friends.
• Themed background. If you opt for a simple design and minimum images, a holiday-themed background may take on the role of the mood setter. Angels, bells, evergreens, garlands — even one small element is enough to create a festive atmosphere.
• Personalized product recommendations. Build blocks with recommendations based on the users' site behavior and campaign activity. Use them to direct people straight to the products they are most likely to buy at this current moment. For example, personalized email campaigns have an average of 30.32% higher OR and 49.66% higher CR than non-personalized emails.
• Multilanguage. If your target audience speaks many languages, consider sending them holiday congratulations in their native language. In the Yespo omnichannel CDP, you can create any multilingual message (web and mobile pushes, App Inbox, widgets, email, rich messages, and SMS) within one template and switch between them in a click.

• Omnichannel. Let your community know what you’re up to this holiday season via all available channels, such as email, web push, mobile push, app inbox, widgets, in-app messages, SMS, and rich messages. It is best to manage them in an omnichannel CDP platform like Yespo. It provides an automated process for collecting, processing, and unifying customer data from multiple sources. All channels have access to a single database. This ensures a positive customer experience. Each client receives messages tailored to their needs and interests in their preferred channels.

• Mobile version. Make sure the mobile version of your site works as it should. The volume of spending by online shoppers from mobile devices in the United States reached nearly $36 billion in October 2023. Create a responsive email that looks great across any screen.

It's not that you have to squeeze all the above into one email. Choose one or two ideas that resonate with the message of your campaign this season and pick the right template that would fit them best. You can find one in our platform as we have 1450+ email templates you can use for free and fill with your content.

And now, when you’re armed with all the basic insights into cool marketing content ideas, check this list of events, small and big, local and international, to put all the above into practice. We don’t recommend bombarding your customers’ inboxes every day, but a relevant reminder applicable to your business is always to the point. After all, Christmas isn't the only occasion to reach out in December.

Holidays to Look for in December

Dec 1

• Neurologist Day;
• Antarctica Day;
• World AIDS Day;
• Independence Day (Portugal);
• Bartender's Day (US);
• National Unity Day (Romania);
• Christmas Lights Day (US);

Dec 2

• Cyber Monday;
• World Computer Literacy Day;
• International Sweater Festival (second Friday after Thanksgiving);
• World Pollution Prevention Day;
• National Skip School Day (US);
• Small Business Day (UK);
• World Fatbike Day (first weekend of December);
• Fritters Day (US);
• Candle Day (US);

Dec 3

• No Pesticides Use Day;
• International Basque Language Day;
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities;
• Make a Gift Day (US);
• Sindhi Cultural Day;

Dec 4

• International Cheetah Day;
• International Day of Banks;
• World Wildlife Conservation Day;
• Dice Day (US);
• Environment Day (Thailand);
• National Cookie Day (US);
• International Cabernet Franc Day;

Dec 5

• World Soil Day;
• International Ninja Day;
• International Volunteer Day;
• Blue Jeans Day (US);
• Father's Day (Thailand);
• Krampusnach (Austria);

Dec 6

• Constitution Day (Spain);
• Day of Armed Forces (Ukraine);
• Independence Day (Finland);
• Teacher's Day (Israel);
• National Gazpacho Day (US);
• St. Nicholas Day (Western Christian countries);

Dec 7

• International Civil Aviation Day;
• Candle Day in Columbia;
• National Cotton Candy Day (US);

Dec 8

• Constitution Day (Romania);
• Salesman's Day (US);
• Day of Finnish Music (Finland);
• National Youth Day (Albania);
• Mother’s Day (Panama);
• Bodhi Day (Japan);
• Brownie Day (US);

Dec 9

• International Day of Veterinary Medicine;
• World Techno Day;
• Llama Day (US);
• International Anti-Corruption Day;
• Christmas Card Day (US);
• Lutefisk Day (Sweden, Finland);
• National Pastry Day (US);

Dec 10

• Human Rights Day;
• Animal Rights Day;
• World Choral Day (second Sunday of December);
• Alfred Nobel Day;
• Lager Day (US);
• Charity Day in Ukraine (second Sunday of December);
• International Tokai Asu Day;
• Constitution Day (Thailand);

Dec 11

• International Mountain Day;
• UNICEF Day;
• Mobile App Day (US);
• Anniversary of the Statute of Westminster (Canada);
• National Tango Day (Argentina);

Dec 12

• Retail Employees’ Day;
• International Day of Neutrality;
• International Universal Health Coverage Day;
• Poinsettia Day (US);
• Kanji Day (Japan);
• Literature Day (Kyrgyzstan);
• Gingerbread House Day (US);

Dec 13

• Sailor's Day (Brazil);
• Ice Cream Day (US);
• Republic Day (Malta);
• National Cocoa Day (US);

Dec 14

• Monkey Day;
• Free shipping day (US);
• National Energy Conservation Day (India);

Dec 15

• National Cupcake Day (US);
• Bill of Rights Day (US);
• Ugly Sweater Day (US);
• International Tea Day;

Dec 16

• International Pinot Meunier Day;
• National Sports Day (Thailand);
• Independence Day (Kazakhstan);
• Reconciliation Day (South Africa);

Dec 17

• Maple Syrup Day (US, Canada);
• Winter Walking Festival (UK);
• Wright Brothers Day (US);

Dec 18

• UN Arabic Language Day;
• International Migrants' Day;
• Police Day (Moldova);
• Twin Day (US);

Dec 19

• St. Nicholas Day (Eastern Christian countries);
• Advocacy Day (Ukraine);
• National Oatmeal Muffin Day (US);

Dec 20

• International Human Solidarity Day;
• National Sangria Day (US);
• Caroling Day (US);

Dec 21

• Winter Solstice Day;
• Dongzhi Festival (East Asia);
• St. Thomas' Day (Netherlands);
• Pancha Ganapati (India);
• Crossword Puzzle Day (US);

Dec 22

• Mother's Day (Indonesia);
• National Mathematics Day (India);
• Date Nut Bread Day (US);

Dec 23

• Festivus;
• HumanLight;
• Blukas Holiday (Lithuania);
• Emperor Akihito's birthday (Japan);
• Queen Silvia's birthday (Sweden);

Dec 24

• Christmas Eve;
• Eggnog Day (US);

Dec 25

• Newtonmas;
• Constitution Day (Taiwan);
• Hanukkah;
• Christmas;

Dec 26

• Kwanzaa;
• Boxing Day;
• Father's Day (Bulgaria);

Dec 27

• International Day of Epidemic Preparedness;
• Zoo Visit Day (US);

Dec 28

• International Cinema Day;
• Card Playing Day (US);
• Proclamation Day (South Australia);
• National Chocolate Candy Day (US);

Dec 29

• International Cello Day;
• Pepper Pot Day (US);
• Constitution Day (Ireland);
• Independence Day (Mongolia);

Dec 30

• National Bacon Day (US);

Dec 31

• New Year's Eve;
• International Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day;
• Hogmanay (UK);
• National Champagne Day (US).

Best December Campaigns and What to Learn from Them

If you know when and what to write but still don’t quite visualize the final picture take a look at the below examples. You’ll see an idea of how different elements may work in one campaign. It’s not necessary to incorporate them all — choose those that resonate with your brand and established communication pattern.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah is the Jewish holiday that has the second name — the Festival of Lights. It lasts for eight days, during which people traditionally exchange gifts and warm wishes. The holiday is associated with family values, so make your Hannukah campaign as friendly-looking as possible.

They've got the job done:

Key elements:

• Clear design;
• Focus on the holiday-related product;
• Corresponding colors.

Key elements:

• A touch of nostalgia — retro family photo on a banner;
• Plain text;
• A reminder of the end of the sale;
• Help with the post-holiday breakfast.

Christmas

Christmas has long become an international holiday celebrated by almost everyone, regardless of religious beliefs, location, age, and nationality. You don’t need to know the Bible by heart to make gifts to your friends and family, bake traditional cookies, or decorate your house with elves and angels.

They’ve got the job done:

Key elements:

• Best wishes for Hanukkah and Christmas;
• Modest and warm colors in design;
• Minimum of text.

Key elements:

• Laconic greeting with gratitude to customers;
• Help with the last-minute gift;
• A special Hanukkah greeting;
• Lightweight design.

Start thinking about your December campaign ideas in advance so that you can prepare them without any rush. From the list below, choose the messages that are right for your business and audience. Analyze your past campaigns to see what messages have resonated with your customers and use them in an updated form.

Develop a design for each campaign that can be used across all channels with slight modifications. For example, the most complete version of the design will be used in the email campaign. A smaller version of the main banner can be added in web push, mobile push, in-app messaging, app inbox, and rich messages. Use widgets to attract your website visitors to big promotions such as New Year's and Christmas sales. This tool allows you to communicate with all audiences as it does not require opt-in to receive messages.

If you want to learn how to combine all your channels into a single platform to maximize the benefits of omnichannel communications, contact our specialists today. They'll be happy to show you how the Yespo CDP solutions can help you grow your business more efficiently.

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