The holiday season is upon us, and it’s important to recognize that your social media strategy should be changing during these few weeks. Holiday season is the highest yielding social media traffic time of the year, and ignoring the holiday season or maintaining your regular posting strategy doesn’t cut it.
With so many messages being targeted at consumers on an average daily basis throughout the year, it’s inevitable the amount of branded posts will skyrocket during the holidays. Since Facebook organic reach dropped to 6% of your follower base, and since the holidays are prime promotion time, Flying Point Digital has compiled some seasonal social media tips to nail your holiday campaigns.
- Pretty Your Pinterest: Pinterest is often an online go to for gift guides and ideas. Make sure your brand is creating relevant boards and pinning more frequently during the holidays so that people shopping for their loved ones can find your products more easily. Consider rich pins and buyable pins to really grab their attention while pinning away. If you’re a B2C, create wish lists boards for men, women, children, and more with all your top products.
- Sharing is Caring: Does your website offer wish list capabilities or sharable carts? If so, give the consumer the option to share their holiday picks on social. The easier it is for someone to share your product online, the more visibility you have the potential to garner.
- Prep the Halls…and avoid angry elves!: Make sure your office is ready to respond. For B2C companies, holiday time can often translate into fighting fires on social media. Data shows that 42% of consumers who complain on social media about a customer experience expect a response within 60 minutes. Even more astounding, 24% of consumers expect a response within 30 minutes! Ensure that your social team is trained and knowledgeable about the options they can offer unhappy customers.
- Santa’s Gone Social: In a recent study, retailers attributed between 5% to 20% of sales to social commerce, and the average order value from a social media purchase continues to rise. Instagram’s average ordervalue banks in at $65.00, followed by Pinterest at $58.85, and Facebook at $55.00. Need we say more?
- Plump Your Promos: Everything gets a little plumper during the holidays (So. Much. Pie.), and there’s no reason that shouldn’t include your social media promotions. Make sure your campaign is EVERYWHERE! Create a full, dated plan for your campaign and make sure you’re posting at optimal times and frequently.
- Shovel for More Show: It’s hard to do anything outside during the winter when you have to trek through mounds of snow. The holiday season is especially full of social media posts and promotions, from sales to holiday feel-good campaigns. Shovel away the snow to reach your consumer amongst all the other snowflakes falling around them. Paid advertising solutions are a fantastic way to do so and expand your audience. Depending on your target and your objective, even a small budget can make a large difference. Do the proper research on your target audience to learn about where they are looking for holiday inspiration most.
- Ho, Ho, Hashtags: Hashtags during the holidays can be silly, fun, and creative. Do your research to find the best holiday hashtags to include in your posts and tweets for optimal visibility. Also try to muster up some creative courage to come up with a branded holiday hashtag! (#FPDaroundthefireplace? #FlyingPOINTsetta?)
- Sugar or Spice, Keep Your Style Nice: Snowflakes and snowmen? Hot cocoa and holly? When creating your copy, visuals and branded holiday hashtag, pick a holiday theme and stick with it in order to make your posts recognizable throughout the season. Make sure to be cognizant of your followers’ diversity. Avoid choosing a style or theme that discriminates or ignores a portion of your consumer base, while also sticking true to your brand. Use bright, clear, enticing imagery to capture the attention of anyone who scrolls by your post or tweet!
- Remember the Reason for the Season: It’s important to spread holiday cheer to your customers online through social media coupons, promotions, and kind words. By doing so, you can strengthen relationships with your followers and build influencers and brand advocates. Offer your consumers added value during the holiday season to really differentiate your brand from the thousands of other brands competing for consumers’ attentions. However, don’t forget to sprinkle in other kinds of holiday cheer! By sharing well wishes, in addition to sales, this holiday season, you remind your customers that there are people behind the screen and your brand doesn’t just care about sales.
Happy holidays!
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