Small businesses may lack the marketing budget of big brands, but can sprinkle a little social media magic to generate maximum returns (This article is taken from Hot in Social Media-click to read the full article here)
Christmas season is in the air- everywhere you look there are bright lights, baubles, and brands looking to make the most of the busiest shopping period of the year. That’s right! The Christmas holidays are upon us and it’s time to get started on that magical, money-making marketing strategy.
During this time of year, shoppers normally tend to flock to the shops in search of the perfect presents for loved ones. The pandemic, this year, has forced a lot of shopping to be done online, but that doesn't change the fact that you need a social media strategy, only in how you prepare it.
The secret to sales for your e-commerce business this Christmas is social media marketing. Below is everything you need to pull it out of Santa’s hat this season.
Prepare Your Social Media Marketing Strategy for Christmas
1. I want creative content for this Christmas
How do you connect with different audiences that are flooded with advertisements? You make them your focus. People like to see creative content that places them at the center of your marketing campaign. Think about who buys your products? Create audience personas for your customers.
2. Deck the social media halls
Think of your social media platform as a blank canvas of which you can dress with Christmas decorations. Make your Twitter, Facebook and Instagram profiles look fun and festive. Bright, eye-catching interactive posts will capture the attention of your audience encouraging likes, comments, and shares. Some examples would be eye-catching posts, contests, and polls.
3. Spread festive cheer
Social media marketing is not restricted to your page. Think of the bigger picture. Do you want to reach new customers? Ones that are already searching for your products? This can be achieved through a carefully planned advertising campaign. Two billion people use Facebook every month. Through the power of Facebook Advertising, you can target the right people for your business. Using what you know about your customers (social media insights), such as demographics, interests, and behaviors, you can communicate with them in seconds and planning strategically can help to increase your sales.
4. Schedule of magical messages
If you are thinking Christmas would be a good time to give social media a rest, then think again. Business doesn’t rest for anyone, especially on Christmas Day. Your audiences will be logging on to their social media accounts to share pictures of their presence with loved ones. This is the perfect time to share a ‘Merry Christmas’ message with your followers. You don’t even have to tear yourself away from the festivities as all posts can be scheduled in advance using tools such as Sprout Social and Hootsuite.
Don’t forget to make the most of the post-Christmas sales and New Years sales on your most popular products.
5. A very Merry Christmas Offer
Christmas is one of the biggest buying seasons of the year with over 20% of a retailer’s annual revenue achieved in one month. Take every opportunity to entice potential customers with limited time offers. The weekend before Christmas ( December 19 and 20 this year), is the best time to offer incentives for those last-minute shoppers.
Emily Cocker is a Digital Executive in the UK leading social media agency, Bigfoot Digital, who specialize in creating engaging social media content that drives online sales and website traffic. She has a passion for creative content and all things digital.