Using Seasonal Campaigns to Drive Community Engagement

# Format: Best Practices & Playbooks

# Theme: Marketing & Growth

# Theme: Community Building & DevRel

# Challenge: Cross-Functional Alignment

Learn how to align seasonal campaigns with community programming to spark conversations, boost adoption, and connect GTM functions.

December 4, 2025

Joshua Zerkel

Seasonality is a natural rhythm in business. Product launches, industry events, and even cultural milestones shape when and how customers pay attention. For GTM leaders, tapping into these moments can be a powerful way to drive relevance. When campaigns are mirrored inside community spaces, they transform from one-time pushes into ongoing conversations that extend impact.

A seasonal campaign is not just about timing; it is about context. Customers are more likely to engage when the message resonates with what is happening in their world right now.

Connecting campaigns with community

Too often, marketing campaigns run in isolation—emails go out, ads run, and webinars are hosted—without tying into community channels. The result is missed opportunity. Communities can make campaigns come alive by providing a space for dialogue, application, and peer-to-peer exchange.

For example:

A spring product release could be paired with a community thread where members share how they are adopting new features.

An annual industry conference could anchor a discussion hub for session takeaways and networking.

End-of-year planning campaigns could extend into community workshops where members co-create strategies for the year ahead.

When campaigns connect directly to community, customers feel invited to participate rather than simply consume.

Lessons from organizations doing it well

HubSpot ties its annual INBOUND conference to digital community activations, ensuring that conversations continue long after the event ends.

Adobe uses seasonal creative challenges to prompt members of its community to share projects, creating an influx of user-generated content that reinforces product value.

Salesforce integrates Dreamforce campaigns with Trailblazer Community discussions, driving engagement before, during, and after the event.

Each example shows how seasonal energy, paired with community, creates momentum that lasts longer than the campaign itself.

How to structure seasonal campaigns for community impact

1. Anchor to moments that matter. Identify the events, product milestones, or industry cycles that resonate with your audience.

2. Create community entry points. For every campaign asset—an email, a webinar, or a guide—provide a clear link to a discussion thread, poll, or resource hub in the community.

3. Encourage peer contribution. Spark prompts such as “How are you planning for Q4?” or “What’s your favorite way to use this feature?” to shift from broadcast to dialogue.

4. Align cross-functionally. Involve product, sales, and customer success so that each campaign touchpoint in the community reflects shared priorities.

5. Extend the shelf life. Archive campaign-related discussions and resources in a way that they remain discoverable after the campaign window closes.

Why this matters for GTM alignment

Seasonal campaigns that extend into community serve as connective tissue across GTM functions:

Marketing amplifies its message through peer conversations.

Product gathers real-world feedback from users engaging with new features.

Sales benefits from prospects and customers seeing authentic use cases in community.

Customer Success leverages discussions to reinforce adoption and reduce support needs.

By aligning campaigns with community, GTM leaders create continuity that traditional marketing channels alone cannot achieve.

Building momentum year-round

Seasonal campaigns provide a recurring opportunity to activate community. Each cycle builds on the last, creating a rhythm of participation that keeps customers engaged throughout the year.

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