Introduction:
Festivals are times when the general outlook is buoyant and overall market sentiment is optimistic as well. Brands must leverage these feel-good times to boost awareness, generate leads, and increase revenue. It’s especially true if your business is based on seasonality.
More so, all brands must focus on festive marketing because several surveys point out that people are willing to spend more than usual while celebrating festivals. And it stands true for the B2B client base as well. Therefore, B2B brands must augment their marketing strategies to leverage the festivities.
No two B2B marketing strategies are the same. And when it comes to festivals in India, there are several factors to consider before putting together a plan that will work for your business.
Here are a few things to keep in mind before you begin:
1. Understand your audience:
Who are you trying to reach with your B2B marketing strategy? What are their needs and pain points? What kind of festivals are they attending? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you create targeted content and messages that resonate with your audience.
2. Define your goals:
What do you hope to achieve with your B2B marketing strategy? Are you looking to generate leads, build brand awareness, or do something else entirely?
Once you know your goals, you can create a content marketing plan that will help you achieve them. If your business is brand new, consider reading this blog to get you started.
3. Choose the right platform:
There are a number of different platforms you can use to reach your audience at festivals. It’s important to choose the one that makes the most sense for your business and your goals. Some common options include social media, email marketing, and direct mail.
Then choose appropriate content formats as per the platforms. For instance, If you’ve picked Instagram, then short videos will work better.
4. Have a budget:
B2B marketing can be expensive, so it’s important to have a budget in place before you get started. Know how much you’re willing to spend on each activity and make sure you stick to it.
5. Promote your content:
Once you’ve created targeted, engaging content, it’s time to promote the same using relevant channels be it print media or online platforms.
Now, we’ve covered the bases. Let’s have a look at the strategies that you can implement to get the most mileage from your digital content marketing strategy.
1. Distribute freebies
Everyone loves freebies, and festival-goers are no exception. When you distribute freebies, your buyers will perceive you to be a part of their celebration.
Useful freebies:
If you’re looking to generate brand awareness and generate leads, consider giving away items like t-shirts, hats, or water bottles with your company’s logo on them. These simple steps help you to build excellent brand awareness and recall.
Festival-related freebies:
It’s always a great idea to distribute freebies that are in sync with the festival. For instance, if your audiences are gearing up for the lantern festival, you can consider distributing branded lanterns for free.
2. Make the most of event marketing:
Though we live in an online-first world, in-person events still have a dedicated fan base. Suppose, you are targeting an upcoming music festival like Sunburn. You can sponsor an upcoming artist’s show.
Event marketing can be a great channel to interact with your target audience face-to-face and learn more about them. You can use these insights to fine-tune your marketing and offerings. Here’s how to do it.
Sponsor a stage:
Sponsoring a stage at a music festival is a great way to get your company’s name in front of a large audience. Not only will you be reaching people who are interested in the music, but you’ll also be able to connect with other businesses who are sponsoring the event.
Set a booth/stall:
Pick a relevant festival that will pique the interest of your target clients. For instance, if your target customers are restaurant owners, then setting up a stall in a food festival will make more sense to you.
3. Rebrand your packaging for select merchandise:
It’s a good idea to create special packaging for certain exclusive or seasonal products you offer during the festivities. You can take inspiration from the following examples.
- For instance, on days of national importance, you can rebrand using the colors of the national flag.
- For Pongal, you can use Kolam designs to feature on the products.
Such minor tweaks help you connect with the audiences, especially the ones celebrating the festival. People will associate your brand with positive emotions, which is the biggest advantage of festival-themed marketing.
Cost Considerations:
But, let’s be honest, the above steps can be an expensive affair. Plus, it is relatively more difficult to manage the execution of these strategies on a ground level. The solution is to use online marketing, especially content marketing as a part of your festival B2B marketing strategies.
4. Have a presence on social media:
Social media is a powerful tool that can help you reach your audience where they’re already spending time. Depending, on your target consumers and industry, you can pick a handful of social media platforms. Spreading yourself too thin may not be very helpful.
Make sure you’re active on platforms like Twitter and Instagram in the weeks leading up to the festival and during the event itself. Use hashtags to reach even more people. Also, find out when your audiences are actively engaging on a given platform, and schedule your posts around that time. You can use tools like Buffer or SEMrush to take care of social media management.
For instance, you want to create social media posts for Eid-Ul-Fitr and if you’re a finance brand. You can suggest a modern way aka your new offering to share Eidi – the gift from elders – with the audience. This way, you have fostered the connection and marketed your brand at the same time.
- Linkedin Marketing:
For B2B brands, using LinkedIn is a non-negotiable marketing strategy. According to a finding, only 3% of Linkedin users post more than once a week. This means brands can create relevant content to stand out from the pack and build authority. We assist brands in nailing their profiles and content creation on an ongoing basis. Book a call here to learn more.
5. Get Some PR:
You can always use the good old media for a feature or a mention. Draft a press release on your special offers valid through a festival. Or even how you celebrated a festival on your premises and then send it to media houses. This way, you can extend the reach of your in-house celebrations to the masses. Not sure, how to create a publish-worthy press release? We’ve covered you.
Alternatively, you can also give an advertisement wishing people ahead of the festivities. Make sure to give out a message that resonates with your target audience. Many festivals have particular nuances and traditions which must be kept in mind while drafting the message. But also ensure that it also stands true to the brand ethos. Otherwise, your efforts will go in vain.
What not to do
A leading consumer brand launched an ad featuring a boat race festival in Kerala, Vallam Kalli being celebrated during the night. This is far from the truth. Several users took to the internet to point out this fallacy.
The key is to understand the theme of the festival, is it a harvest festival or a religious festival, or a cultural festival? Then, create a marketing campaign around the same.
6. Host a Promotional Contest:
People are driven by a sense of competition. Hosting a contest is a good way to tap into this notion. You can host this promotional contest online and offline as well. The bottom line is to keep the contest simple enough for people to freely engage in it.
Just make sure you’re clear about what you’re giving away and how people can enter to win. Share the steps clearly and concisely on your website or social media channels. You can also make use of your physical store for the same. Ensure that the prizes lure maximum participation.
Benefits of festival B2B marketing strategy:
Now, that we have looked through the strategies, you might ask – What are the benefits of festival B2B marketing strategies? Have a look –
- As pointed out earlier, more people are willing to spend.
- You can foster a connection with your audiences
- You can encash recent trends surrounding festivals
- You can build greater brand awareness and recall.
Benefits of festival B2B marketing strategy:
Now, that we have looked through the strategies, you might ask – What are the benefits of festival B2B marketing strategies? Have a look –
- As pointed out earlier, more people are willing to spend.
- You can foster a connection with your audiences
- You can encash recent trends surrounding festivals
- You can build greater brand awareness and recall.
Conclusion:
By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to putting together a B2B marketing strategy that will help you achieve your goals. Just remember to be creative, think outside the box, and have fun! Festivals are a great opportunity to connect with potential customers and grow your business. In case, you’re wondering how to fine-tune your festival B2B marketing strategy, get in touch with us.