How to Use Social Media During the Holiday Season

The pressure of the busiest time of the year for shoppers and sellers alike is starting to be felt. This Thursday marks the annual American Thanksgiving celebration, which is followed by Black Friday and Cyber Monday. All in a span of less than seven days.

While shoppers concentrate on making hefty purchases for themselves and for their loved ones, businesses expect to see their sales increase significantly. And what better way than to promote themselves through social media?

After all, ‘tis the season, right?

Social media is an invaluable tool to help you increase your sales. We don’t need statistics to prove this, but more and more shoppers are buying stuff online through their tablets or smartphones. The average shopper will do 44% of their shopping online, and 2 in 5 will spend their time researching online for a good deal.

Here are some ways you can use social media to get people to talk and shop for your products this holiday season:

1. Update your photo: there’s no bigger turn-off for a viewer when they see a party-popper. Even if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas, show your festive side online – be it Kwanzaa or Hanukkah. One easy way to show your appreciation for the holidays is by changing your picture to a holiday-induced one. This is especially easy on Twitter and Facebook because of their cover photo feature. Changing your profile picture might confuse shoppers, so out for the cover photo. Doing so will cheer viewers up and also remind them that you are human too.
2. Hold a holiday-contest: Organizing a contest is one of the ways to get users best involved. Seasonal campaigns do reasonably well, especially during the holidays. And what a better way to ignite the holiday spirit than through a contest? Users like businesses that offer free giveaways. By holding a contest on say, your Facebook page, you can not only get attention drawn towards your business, but show your spirit of giving. Contests that draw users to your page daily such as photo contests or games are encouraged.
3. Post holiday-related content: whether it be your blog posts, Facebook page or Twitter updates, make sure the content you post ties into the holidays. Customers are busy thinking about what to do and what to buy during this season – make sure you keep their attention by giving them content that caters to their needs. You could post about last minute gifts, what to wear to family get togethers, or recipes that are easy to make. As long as it is in accordance to the type of customers you attract and what you offer as a product or service, it is fine. Remember, you should not just post content to promote your products, but to engage customers as well. Make sure your marketers are including this in your content marketing plan.
4. Keep up with the hashtags: while a common suggestion for marketers on Twitter is to be aware and alert of the trending topics, this is especially true during the festive season. This is a great way to get noticed and increase your sales, especially if you are offering a sale or discount. Not only is it important to see what hashtags are trending to get your products out there, but to get people talking about your brand. By asking people to share their thoughts on a holiday, or tips for one through a hashtag, you’ll inadvertently make them talk about your brand.
5. Use Pinterest: Not only is Pinterest is a great way to leverage your visual marketing, but to get attention on your brand, especially during the holiday season. Creating boards on Pinterest is one of the easiest ways to appeal to shoppers, whom are constantly looking for inspiration during this season. You can add buttons to lead customers to your site and gain conversions.

So there you have it. Here are some simple things you can do to increase sales this holiday season. If your social media manager is having trouble creating a stir online, pass this on! If you can think of something to add to our list, leave a comment below!