December is usually loud in marketing.
More promotions. More urgency. More “last chance” emails than anyone wants to read. Every brand fighting for attention in the same crowded inbox, often saying the same thing in slightly different ways.
So this year, we did something different.
Instead of running another holiday sale, Smart Marketer launched 12 Days of Giving. A campaign built entirely around generosity, value, and re-engagement. No discounts. No bundles. No pressure. Just real trainings, resources, and insider SOPs unlocked one day at a time.
What started as a simple experiment quickly turned into one of the most meaningful campaigns we’ve run in years, not just emotionally, but strategically.
Why We Changed Our Approach
For most of Smart Marketer’s history, revenue followed a familiar rhythm: build something new, launch it hard, push aggressively, recover, then repeat.
That model worked. But it also demanded enormous energy from the team and trained our audience to only pay attention during launches. Over time, it became clear that while our content continued to perform well, traditional promotions were losing their effectiveness.
By the end of Q4, the signal was impossible to ignore. Engagement was down, inbox fatigue was real, and post-BFCM performance reflected what many brands experienced this year: selling harder wasn’t the answer.
So instead of asking how to push more, we asked a different question.
What if the fastest way to rebuild trust and attention was to stop asking for anything at all?
The Concept: 12 Days. 12 Gifts. Zero Selling.
The idea behind 12 Days of Giving was intentionally simple.
For twelve days in December, we gave away one Smart Marketer resource per day. These weren’t teasers or watered-down samples. They were full courses, trainings, and playbooks that normally sell for real money or insider SOPs strictly for our agency team.
Each gift unlocked for just 48 hours and then disappeared. There were no upsells attached and no forced funnels. The only requirement was showing up on the right day.
To bring the experience to life, we built a digital advent calendar where each day unlocked automatically. Scarcity came from the structure, not the messaging. There was no manufactured urgency, just a clear moment in time to access something valuable.
What Happened Next
The response surprised us.
Over the course of the campaign, we saw 371 email opt-ins, including 59 people who were completely new to our list (without a single cold traffic ad). More than 360 people created an account with Smart Marketer for the first time (to receive one of the free resources or enter for a chance to win a giveaway), and 25 of them became first-time buyers, all without a traditional sales push.
Engagement told an even more important story. Average open rates landed at just over 53%, with consistent click activity day after day. In total, the campaign generated nearly 2,800 engagements and more than 4,000 page views, the majority coming from desktop, but with strong mobile participation as well.
All of this happened during one of the noisiest marketing periods of the year without running a sale.
Why This Worked
The biggest difference was tone.
Every email during our 12 Days of Giving campaign was written to feel human and calm. Instead of shouting about deadlines or discounts, each message told a story about why that day’s resource mattered and who it was meant to help. The invitation was simple: here’s something valuable, available today and tomorrow, if you want it.
That shift sparked real conversation. We received replies from people expressing disbelief that we would give away a course that cost thousands. Others shared how meaningful the content was for businesses still in survival mode, trying to build something sustainable without cutting corners. Hoping this content might be help allow them to pay themselves from the business this year.
These weren’t passive clicks. They were genuine responses from people who felt seen.
Scarcity Without Manipulation
The advent-style format created urgency without pressure. When a day passed, that gift was gone. Miss it, and you had to wait for the next one.
Interestingly, this led to even more engagement. People replied to emails asking if they could still access a missed resource, which naturally boosted inbox interaction and list health. The structure encouraged daily return visits without relying on hype or fear.
Value That Connected to Real Systems
Every free resource was tied to something we actually use and sell: courses, Mentor Table sessions, agency frameworks, and internal playbooks. Not as a pitch, but as proof.
As a result, interest showed up organically on the backend. Mentor Table applications increased after Mentor Table content dropped. Agency inquiries followed when agency training went live. We didn’t push those outcomes, they happened because value was delivered first.
The Bigger Impact: List Health
Before the campaign, promotional fatigue had clearly taken a toll. During the 12 Days of Giving, engagement rebounded quickly. Every email cleared a 1% click rate, and enough activity flowed back into our ecosystem that more than 400 subscribers moved back into our 90-day engaged segment.
When we expanded sending to a wider 365-day audience, performance held strong. Giving rebuilt attention faster than selling ever could.
What This Taught Us Moving Forward
This campaign wasn’t just about December.
It reshaped how we’re thinking about growth going into the next year. We’re shifting toward fewer, higher-quality leads. We’re gathering more context upfront so we can actually deliver relevant value. And we’re prioritizing relationship-building over constant promotion.
12 Days of Giving reminded us of something easy to forget in modern marketing.
When you lead with trust, people lean in.
Why We’ll Do It Again
We didn’t run a holiday sale this year.
And yet December became one of our most engaged months.
Sometimes the best way to stand out isn’t to sell louder. It’s to show up differently.
Giving isn’t just generous.
It’s strategic.
Serve the World Unselfishly
And [then] Profit.
And it works.
