A few weeks ago I encouraged readers to get their blog ready for Christmas.
I’d be interested to hear how people have gone with it.
Have you done anything different on your blog this holiday season? Perhaps it’s been posts you’ve written, design elements, getting your ads and affiliate programs optimized – or something else.
How have these efforts converted for you?
Let me give you an example of my own:
Earlier in the week I posted 9 Fun Digital Photography Christmas Gifts. I’d previously written some other Christmas posts but this one was more aimed at the last minute shopper. It was a list of 9 products – all from Amazon.
My aim with the post was to make it a little fun and ‘light’ by highlighting smaller and more interesting products than high end and expensive digital cameras (I’d done the more expensive products in a recent post on popular digital cameras).
The conversion of the post has been quite good with quite a few items in the list being purchased and also the traffic that it directed into Amazon resulting in lots of other purchases (remember it’s all about getting readers in the door with Amazon).
I also prominently promoted this post in my weekly newsletter – this drove quite a bit of traffic to it in the last 24 hours – hopefully this will convert in the next Amazon report.
The other surprising element is that the post has done increasingly well with StumbleUpon. Only a few readers have stumbled it so far but the traffic from SU has been quite good so far. I was surprised at this because it’s not a ‘tips’ post – but perhaps the slightly ‘wacky’ products featured have worked.
That’s one example of what I’ve done in the last week or so. What have you been up to?
Participated in 24 Blogging Days Till Christmas event, where Dina Giolitto, copywriter is giving away 24 copywriting tips for your blog while encouraging interaction between bloggers.
I wrote several posts about gifts, 7 gifts of blog, gift of great customer service, etc.
Darren,
My blog aims to help businesses attract and keep more customers through Experience Design.
I wrote a post on creating “sticky” memories for customers while standing in line with my daughter, waiting to see Santa. I also wrote a Ten-Point Tune-Up, for businesses experiencing their slow time right now (not strictly holiday, but a lot of offices, especially, are twiddling their thumbs right now).
I already had a bit of holiday blogging planned, but that post you wrote was a real thought-provoker for me. I took your advice a bit farther and started getting other seasonal content together, thinking about how every season presents its own opportunities for business growth, and you’ll be seeing Spring, Summer, and Autumn seasonal content from me, also. I came upon some data that led me to a post for next August the other day, so your post really got me thinking in advance!
Thanks much,
Kelly
We created a holiday gift guide by excerpting past product reviews from our Reviews site and creating new ones. We also contacted all of the manufacturers for exclusive coupon codes for our readers.
http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2007/12/2007-celebrity.html
have a nice Xmas Darren, btw are plaining to go somewhere for Christmas ?
-abs
I did mine back in November with Christmas Tree Earrings Design Ideas. It had to be early because people who read my jewelry blog for inspiration and ideas need time to make these things. I submitted the post to forums and SU and it did well.
My personal message to go out soon features an article and picture of a $1 million dollar gem encrusted Christmas tree made by jewellers in Singapore.
I did some toy gift guides for specific product lines, and they converted very nicely.
We have posted two articles on the spiritual meaning of Christmas. One is entitled , and the other is . Check them out!
I messed up my last comment. Let me try again.
We have posted two articles on the spiritual meaning of Christmas. One is entitled “Compassion in the Teachings of Jesus” , and the other is Christmas from an Eastern Perspective . Check them out!
Ok, after weeks of agonizing over my layout and pulling out many of my little naps, my blog is finally live . Although I only have a few more days left till Christmas, I also decided to decorate it a little. Better late then never.
Btw, thanks so much for all the good information you post on this site. Your site was one of the first ones I added to my blogroll, because it has become a good resource site for me. Even when I did a Google search for a particular question I had, one of the top links was this site.
I wish you and all your readers Happy Holidays.
~Natasha
Leading up to Christmas, I’ve created a series of holiday-themed posts. The series will culminate with interviews– posted on Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day–with two very unique “Christmas” collectors (one being from Russia who collects vintage USSR Christmas Cards).
Topped the blog with a post on the top 5 Christmas DVDs, at least in our house. Right on top is a picture of the kid with his tongue stuck to the pole. Everyone loves that!
Ho Ho Ho
I did a 3 part series on the environmental benefits and how to create a free Christmas eCard slideshow (instead of sending traditional christmas cards) on my blog, the Fun Times Guide to Living Green.
My hits have been 5-7 times what they normally are for the last 10 days!
Merry Christmas
We focused on posts labelled: “Best Beauty Gifts”. Everything during the month of December was focused on helping with Christmas shopping.
On December 25th, we’ll have a special “thank you and happy holidays” message.
We didn’t create any new graphic designs, because we didn’t plan ahead, but I will certainly add that element for Christmas 2008.
Gisele
Hi Darren,
I made a custom Christmas logo, and oriented some posts on charities active in the aviation niche.
This is also the period of retrospective posts – top 10 aviation events in 2007 and the like.
Some posts for 2008 are also in the pipe, including a whishlist !
Merry Christmas to all !
I also wanna a make a custom logo to my blog – but i didn’t created yet hope soon i create n place on the top – http://www.vhxn.com
I didn’t think I could do any thing for Christmas because a write a political Blog. But I did come up with something. Thank you Darren for the push to make me think.
I did a collection of YouTube Videos, silly but seemed like a fun idea at time
Descartes, that’s not silly at all. It’s amazing what trawling through video searches will buy you in the way of traffic.
For us, we followed up our 32 Days of Halloween campaign with 13 Days of Xmas.