Why the Holiday Season is the Best Time to run a Giveaway

The holidays are often referred to as the season of giving, so what better time than the holidays to run an online giveaway or contest?

Running a giveaway as another year comes to a close not only embraces the giving spirit of Christmas, but it can also promote brand awareness, generate leads, and build a social media presence just in time for the New Year.

According to a post from the Assistance League, “December is a major month for fundraising. In fact, over 30% of annual donations occur between Thanksgiving and the new year with the majority of those gifts occurring in the final three days of the year.”

These stats aren’t just a coincidence. There is a reason for this boost in generosity, and many types of companies can benefit from getting in on the giving spirit during the holiday season. Here’s why:

• People are in a giving mood and will appreciate a giveaway more than ever.
• Free giveaway items are the perfect Christmas gift for others.
• Giving away a ‘Christmas gift’ is an awesome way to promote brand recognition.
• A holiday giveaway might encourage future purchases.
• A giveaway/contest is the perfect way to improve your social media engagement over the holidays.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these reasons for running a holiday campaign.

People are in a Giving Mood and will Appreciate a Giveaway More Than Ever

The very first (and most obvious) reason to run a giveaway or viral contest over the holidays is to embrace the newfound atmosphere of giving. Stats and studies show that people give more during the holiday season - and you can, too!

Not only is running a giveaway good for appearances by showing that your brand values generosity, but it’s also a great way to get ahead with lead generation for the upcoming year. Giveaways are an excellent source for getting leads and you might even be able to double your email list as the year is coming to a close.

The best way to show your audience that you’re all about giving (and to generate leads, of course) is to run a charity-based giveaway or contest. Charity contests will give your contestants the opportunity to win something for themselves while also giving back to society in return.

For every $50 or $100 prize someone wins from the giveaway, why not offer to donate the same amount to a charity organization. The charity can be chosen by you, but an even better way to do it is to give contestants a few different charity options to choose from.

In this scenario, everyone wins. You get the leads you were hoping for, the lucky contest winners get a free prize, and a charity (or several) will benefit from your matched donations.

Free Giveaway Items are the Perfect Christmas Gifts for Others

As soon as Black Friday hits, the biggest focus for the average consumer is to start their Christmas shopping. Crossing off gift ideas for loved ones is an amazing feeling - especially when one of those gifts is acquired from a free giveaway.

Although it might sound like a cheap regifting ploy, you can bet that many of your brand’s followers will appreciate any and all freebies that are sent their way during the holiday season. Whether they choose to keep the gift for themselves or give it as a Christmas present is up to them, but you’ll certainly be helping someone out if they’re looking for a last-minute gift idea.

Giving Away a ‘Christmas Gift’ is an Awesome way to Promote Brand Recognition

This next reason doesn’t just apply to the holiday season (it’s a year-round thing), but it’s still worth noting that giving out free Christmas gifts - whether they’re physical items or coupon codes - is an excellent way to keep your brand recognition going strong.

Let’s say, for example, you run a yoga studio and you decide to give out a high-end yoga mat to the lucky winner of your holiday contest. Every time that person uses the yoga mat, chances are he or she will be reminded of your yoga studio and its generosity during the holidays.

A Holiday Giveaway Might Encourage Future Purchases

While some people might take part in your giveaway and never engage with your brand again, many of the giveaway participants will show up in the future. This is yet another reason to run a holiday giveaway, particularly if you want to see an increase in future purchases and brand engagement.

If your goal is to launch a contest that specifically encourages future business, then you’ll definitely want to consider setting up a Coupon Giveaway. By giving out generous coupon codes and discounts instead of physical items, you’re automatically encouraging people to make future purchases.

Even if you give away a small 10% coupon code that can be applied to your online store, a lot of people won’t want to see that coupon code go to waste. That means they’re likely to make a purchase, just to get that 10% discount.

A Giveaway is the Perfect way to Improve Your Social Media Engagement Over the Holidays

It’s no surprise that social media usage goes up as soon as the holiday season hits. This is when people start sharing and posting more frequently about holiday party ideas, gift wishlists, and New Year’s resolutions.

One source on social media during the holidays goes into detail on social media habits and what people are posting most about around the holidays:

“Valuable highlights include conversation increases around shopping, planning, and to-do lists happen at the beginning of November; Black Friday buzz generally begins about four days prior; people talk about New Year’s Resolutions the day before Christmas; Christmas is the most active day with over 800 million related posts; and New Year’s Resolutions make up 34% of the conversation between December 22 and January 9.”

This boost in social media activity is a HUGE reason to run a holiday campaign. Our advice for you is to take advantage of it, which you can easily do by making your contest visible on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

Now Is the Time to Start Thinking About Your Holiday Giveaway

These are just a few big reasons to set up a holiday giveaway or contest, so whether you’re looking to double your leads or you just want to get in on the spirit of giving, now is the time to do it.

For more info on how to launch a contest just in time for the holidays, create your free KickoffLabs account today!