Unlock Engagement Opportunities When Everyone Else Is Off the Clock
With the holiday season approaching, our team started having the age-old discussion of lead seasonality and how sales and marketing numbers might be affected.
When we think about the holidays, we tend to think they are supposed to be a slow time for business. People are taking a break, spending time with family, and are definitely not thinking about your company’s product or services, right?
Turns out, data tells us otherwise: leads do engage on holidays. In fact, Verse data shows some of the highest engagement rates occur when we least expect them—during those long weekends or festive days.
Spoiler alert: Speed to lead during the holidays could be the differentiator that puts you ahead of the competition.
This post explores why that might be and how you can leverage these surprising engagement opportunities to connect with prospects when other companies have gone silent.
Best Time to Contact Leads
Verse data shows that 48% of consumers engage after regular business hours, compared to 41% during typical work hours. This trend translates into holidays too.
People are often relaxed, checking their phones, and perhaps open to responding to opportunities when they’re not overwhelmed with work commitments.
And, speaking of checking their phones, data shows that texts have nearly a 4.5x open rate percentage compared to emails, and about 7.5x compared to phone answer rates.
The takeaway? Holidays might just be the perfect time to engage with leads. When people are more relaxed and casually browsing their phones, they’re more receptive to messages that catch their interest.
With the impressive open rates of text messaging, you can cut through the noise and connect when others aren’t even trying
The Importance of Speed to Lead During the Holidays
Speed to lead is always crucial, but it could become even more of a competitive advantage during holidays when your competitors might be out of the office.
At Verse.ai, our data—drawn from millions of text conversations with consumers—paints a surprising picture. While it might be counterintuitive, our insights show a steady pattern of lead engagement during holidays.
Companies that continue engaging leads during the holiday season—and do so with speed—could find themselves ahead of the competition.
Consider these stats:
- 78% of leads will choose the organization that contacts them first.
- Nearly 50% of consumers want to talk outside of standard business hours.
- 95% of texts are read within three minutes of delivery.
Responding quickly to prospects who inquire about your product or services, especially during times when other businesses may have paused their efforts, can make all the difference.
Automated lead follow-up tools can be the secret weapon here, allowing your team to respond instantly to inquiries even when they’re out of the office enjoying the holiday themselves.
By leveraging automation, you ensure no lead goes cold, and you take advantage of every opportunity to be the first to connect.
Holidays and Lead Qualification
As you saw above, our data shows that consumers are responsive, and in many cases, they’re more likely to engage on holidays.
When analyzing further, we found that not only was lead engagement rate strong, but lead qualification rate followed suit, with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day all seeing higher than average qualifications rates than on non-holidays.
Conclusion: Don’t Let Assumptions Hold You Back
The holidays present a valuable opportunity to connect with leads—don’t let the assumption that no one is interested hold you back. At Verse, we’ve seen firsthand how lead engagement remains steady, and often improves, during key holiday periods.
By understanding consumer behavior, leveraging automation to achieve speed to lead, and crafting empathetic messaging, you can make meaningful connections even during the busiest times of the year.
Speed to lead is always important, but during the holidays, it can set you apart from competitors who may be inactive. Automated tools, well-timed SMS, and empathetic outreach can help you stay ahead and make this holiday season your most successful yet.
As you gear up for the holiday season, keep in mind that the key is thoughtful, human-centered outreach combined with rapid response. By staying active and engaging leads on their terms, you can set your business up for a successful end of the year and a strong start to the next one.
Ready to make this holiday season your best yet? Let’s start the conversation—your leads are waiting.
