6 more months until Christmas!

Warning: this content is older than 365 days. It may be out of date and no longer relevant.

As we head into the summer, the last thing on your mind is probably Christmas and the holiday season. You’re thinking beach and not ski slopes, tropical drinks and not hot cocoa, fireworks and not fireplaces. As a consumer and an ordinary person, this is perfectly normal.

As a marketer, however, it’s time to think about the holidays. The beginning of the third quarter is the ideal time to begin your holiday planning. Why? You have some quieter time ahead, especially if you’re a B2B marketer, to get things done in preparation for the holiday season.

Start thinking now about:

What drip campaigns and email marketing campaigns you’ll run.
What promotional items you’ll need to have designed and deployed.
What events/stunts you’ll want to execute.
What pricing and promotions you’ll run (and what creatives you’ll need for them)
What your editorial calendar and public relations pitching calendar will need to be
What search terms you want to target that you should be creating content for now
What PPC keywords performed well in 2013 that you’ll want to bid on in 2014

Yes, it’s early. But as the overused but wholly accurate Game of Thrones quote goes, “Winter is coming.” Take the time now in the hazy days of summer to ensure all of the pieces are in place.

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