Holiday Social Media Trends—should you post more or less?

The holidays are just around the corner and this means everyone is on the lookout for gifts. This season has the potential to boost your sales like no other time of year. That being said, a robust marketing strategy is vital to unlock this potential. As you probably guessed the answer to the question “should you post more or less?” is post more! In order to be strategic about your time and money, below are some recommendations for the type of social media content and the type of messaging to include this holiday season.

Stories

Stories are a great way to interact with your potential customers and they are available across multiple platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. If you are not already utilizing stories, seeing that you have posted one can catch your followers’ eyes. Stories allow your brand to seem more human because it is a great tool to show how your business works. You can post a video or picture of the behind-the-scenes process of making your product or show how your service works. Secondly, stories allow you to promote new products and sales. This is a great way to remind your customers of any holiday sales or discounts and gift options or holiday packaging. One of the unique aspects of stories is that you can interact with your followers by using polls and story questions to learn more about their likes and dislikes. Ask your audience which of your products they hope to receive this year and which ones they are gifting to their loved ones. Lastly, this is a great spot to include your holiday content whether it be your facilities decorated for the holidays or highlighting your holiday products.

Video

Video content is your best friend when it comes to brand awareness. This format is favored by users and the platforms themselves. Posting videos on your social media platforms means that the Instagram and Facebook algorithms will work in your favor and more users will view your content and potentially interact with it which can result in increased sales. Even without the algorithm, users are more likely to interact with videos because they stand out among the other content they scroll through. Some options for video content include putting up holiday decorations, showcasing your product being used, holiday recipe posts, and gift ideas.

Social Media Ads

The holidays are a perfect time for social media ads. While in other months of the year an ad can be overlooked, this time of year people are desperate for any suggestion or inspiration for gifts for their loved ones. Because you are paying for an ad it ensures that it is appearing on people’s feeds. This means that your social media ad can create brand awareness, boost sales, and create traffic to your website. This is the place where you should be promoting your holiday deals, gift options, and holiday edition products.

Things to Keep in Mind

While the holidays are a great time for consumer spending it is also important to keep in mind that we are in a unique time so it is more important than ever to show your customers that you care about them, their safety, and the community. The unfortunate events of this year means that a lot of people are on a tight budget so making sure to promote any sales or early promotions can be helpful to your customers. Consumers are also searching for small and inexpensive ways to alleviate the stress of the year by purchasing something for themselves. You can include gift ideas to “treat yourself” in your content and messaging. Of course, safety is now a constant concern in the back of consumers mind so offering and advertising different options to receive your products or services is vital. Include options like free shipping, contactless delivery, and curb-side pickup in your content and messaging. Lastly, the holidays have always been a reminder to give back and especially now consumers are looking for opportunities to do so. Show your customers that you care about the community by donating a percentage of their purchase, doing a holiday giveaway, or promoting and donating to a good cause.

Whatever strategies you choose, remember to have variety in your content to catch the eye of your audience, promote sales and discounts, and most importantly amp up the posts! While consumers are after gifts this time of year, businesses are also competing for their attention and money so make sure they see your posts and they purchase from you.