Tis the season for savvy social media campaigns, which means businesses must identify creative and festive ways to connect and engage with their customers. It is important for businesses to make these connections authentic and avoid decking their customers’ Instagram feeds with colorful lights or overloading their Twitter feeds with candy canes and tinsel to embody the spirit of the holidays.
If you missed out on our tips on what 2016 taught us about social media, we’ve gift-wrapped some suggestions to make sure your social media is firing on all cylinders in this most wonderful time of the year.
Remind customers the holidays are a time to treat themselves
People often shop for themselves while they are checking gifts off their list for family and friends so that businesses can use this to their advantage. For example, a business can market to those who work during the day by offering a “coffee break special” on social media to attract consumers who are on their mid-morning break. In addition, offering these special time-driven discounts or buy one get one at half price offers are easy strategies businesses can use to encourage potential customers to treat themselves to something special.
Run special holiday-themed sales campaigns
Creative businesses are always on the forefront of sales during the holiday season. Try running a special holiday campaign or ad on your business’ Instagram or Facebook page. Special promotions or giveaways tied to the Twelve Days of Christmas or creating a campaign for each day on the calendar are popular ideas to engage your audience and increase sales. Need an idea? We’ve dug a little deeper here to show you how to use Facebook for your holiday campaigns.
Shine a light on giving
Adopt an organization for the holidays. The “most wonderful time of the year” is known for giving and receiving. Share the joy of giving with your customers by donating a portion of sales on select days or all season long to a worthy organization or non-profit. You also might showcase work your team has done to help the less fortunate.
Focus on customer needs
Businesses desperately try to instill the holiday spirit in their customers by flooding their feeds with a myriad of holiday-related advertising – promoting everything from clothes, the newest iPhone to smart TVs. But they would better connect with a consumer by slowing down the push messaging and concentrating more on the pull. Listen to what people are saying on social, and solve their holiday problem. You may be better able to sell your product or service to someone who feels helped out by your interaction.
Share your holiday spirit with consumers by taking them behind the scenes of your brand
Consumers love seeing photos of other people celebrating the holidays, which has the power to unite your target audience with your product or service. Share photos from your holiday office party’s tacky Christmas sweater contest or decorations from your customer service center. Collect favorite holiday-themed recipes and traditions from your employees and share those with your audience.
If your business doesn’t have the in-house expertise to manage its social channels, consider hiring a social media agency! At Katie Wagner Social Media, we’re committed to seeing our clients succeed on social media and we’d be happy to help you out too. Want to jumpstart your social in 2017 We have tips to ignite your social media in the new year.
