Why December and January Are Quietly Brilliant for B2B Tech Marketing

Every year around this time, I hear the same thing from clients: “There’s no point doing any marketing now until February, everyone’s on holidays.” I get it. The instinct makes sense. But here’s what I’ve learned over the years: while many of your competitors are switching off, there’s a genuine and data backed opportunity to connect with your audience in ways you can’t during the rest of the year.

The reality is most businesses in Australia close for 10-14 days, roughly December 23 to January 6. Yes, some people take longer breaks, but many don’t. And IT? IT never really switches off. Networks need managing, systems need support, and problems don’t wait for everyone to get back from holidays.

What The Data Actually Shows

Here’s something interesting: LinkedIn engagement rates in Australia drop by less than 1.15% in December and January. That’s barely a blip. Your target audience is still online, still consuming content, still engaged.

We’ve seen this work firsthand at RAW. Last year, over the Christmas break, we ran a LinkedIn advertising campaign with a really valuable eBook as the primary CTA. The target audience was CEOs, CIOs and CFOs. It performed exceptionally well. Why? Because those decision-makers actually had downtime to engage with content they’d normally be too busy for or save to read later.

The difference between December and February isn’t whether people are online, it’s what headspace they’re in. And sometimes, a quieter inbox and a bit of breathing room is exactly when people do their research.

The January Advantage

January is when many organisations set their Q1 priorities (and budgets). If you’ve maintained visibility with buyers who are actively researching during December and early January, you’re positioned perfectly for when they’re ready to move forward.

Larger organisations with in-house marketing teams already know this. They don’t switch off, they adjust their approach and keep showing up. While others go silent, they’re building brand awareness and staying front of mind.

When February rolls around, they’re not starting from scratch. They’re continuing conversations that started in December.

What Actually Works in December and January

This doesn’t mean running your August strategy in December. The opportunity is in adjusting your approach, not pausing it.

Focus on value over volume. Educational content, thought leadership, end-of-year insights, what’s coming in 2026. These forms of content performs well when people more time to read, engage and reflect.

For prospective customers, meet them where they are in their research journey. They might not be ready to talk to sales yet, but they are building their shortlist. This is your chance to be on it.

For current customers, be present and be helpful. Show them you understand their business doesn’t stop just because it’s December.

The Opportunity

26.1 million Australians are online daily, spending 7+ hours online. People are still researching, still learning, still engaged, they’re just doing it with a bit more breathing room than usual.

Marketing during December and January isn’t about working harder. It’s about working smarter with a different approach that matches where your audience is at.

The businesses that understand this aren’t just maintaining momentum, they’re building pipeline while the market is quieter, positioning themselves perfectly for when buying activity picks up again.

The question isn’t whether you should market during this period. It’s whether you’re ready to take advantage of it.

The Two-Track Opportunity: Current Customers and Prospects

There are actually two really interesting opportunities during this period, and they require different approaches.

Current Customers

This is prime time for the kind of engagement that builds genuine loyalty. End-of-year wrap-ups, tech support availability over the break, helpful reminders about what to do if something goes wrong, this is content that gets noticed because it's actually useful. And it can provide an answer to a customers question before they’ve even had to ask, creating real value and trust.

Prospective Customers

The buying journey continues even when the calendar hits December. B2B buyers consume an average of 13 pieces of content during their journey, and 67% of that journey happens digitally before they even make contact. They're researching now, building their understanding, forming opinions. They might not be ready to buy until February or March, but they're absolutely doing the groundwork.

So What's Your Play?

While your competitors may be putting marketing on pause until February, your audience is still out there, researching, evaluating, and making decisions about for 2026.

This period is about showing up with genuine value when the noise has died down. It’s about being present, helpful, and memorable during the exact window when your competitors have gone quiet.

The organisations that treat December and January as an opportunity rather than an inconvenience will start the new year with momentum, not from a standing start.

If you’d like to discuss how to make this period work for your B2B tech business, we’d be happy to chat. Even in December!

Gillian Kelly

Gillian Kelly is RAW's Digital Marketing Director.

Why December and January Are Quietly Brilliant for B2B Tech Marketing

What The Data Actually Shows

The January Advantage

What Actually Works in December and January

The Opportunity

The Two-Track Opportunity: Current Customers and Prospects

Current Customers

Prospective Customers

So What's Your Play?

Gillian Kelly

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