The holiday season conjures thoughts of retailers and consumer brands, but it can be merry for business-to-business marketers, as well, according to LinkedIn.
The professional network analyzed B2B engagement rates on its platform during the 2018 holiday season, from November 2018 through January 2019, and LinkedIn Marketing Solutions head of global go to market Reem Abiedoh shared its findings in a blog post.
According to LinkedIn, while B2B marketers see decreases in online activity on holidays such as Christmas and New Years Eve, with the largest dip occurring on the latter, ad engagements for B2B brands in December 2018 actually rose 18% when compared with the average engagement rate from February through October.
Abiedoh wrote, “LinkedIn members were reading and engaging more with content, particularly on mobile, as well as searching for new jobs.”
They were also looking to hear from brands, as lead gen form submission was up 22% in December 2018.
The professional network added that engagement rates were even higher in the second week of January than they were in November 2018.
It wasn’t all business, though: The professional network found that holiday keywords such as holidays, New Year and Christmas were effective for B2B brands, particularly when used with sponsored content.
Abiedoh wrote, “While B2B brands aren’t necessarily selling gifts, ensuring that a brand’s message incorporates the spirit of the holiday season with key terms will boost conversions and convert buyers into long-term loyalists.”
Looking at specific sectors, LinkedIn found that B2B computer software brands served 13 times more seasonal ads than any other industry last year, and the five highest-performing brands doing so saw click-through rates 2.6 times higher on average.
High-tech saw the highest impression rates with holiday ads on LinkedIn during the 2018 holiday season, with five times the average, followed by finance (three times) and corporate (1.3 times).
LinkedIn said how-to and tips articles drove high engagement rates for B2B holiday creative, offering as examples New Year’s resolutions, checklists and guides on surviving the holiday season.
Abiedoh wrote, “B2B marketers shouldn’t ignore the holiday season—engagement rates clearly show that there’s an opportunity for B2B. So, set your own resolution early to take advantage of this festive time.”
