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By now, you’ve probably seen all the TV commercials where brands convince people that December really is the best time of the year to buy your loved one a brand-new SUV, a diamond ring or a great backyard grill. Well, there’s plenty you can do on social media as well to turn this into a December to remember as well. Here are five tips for pulling off a holiday-themed social media marketing campaign.
Tip #1: Festive photos of your products
People who drop by your website have probably seen countless photos of your products against a plain white background – but have they seen them against a background of white snow? Or under a Christmas tree? Instagram offers the best chance to showcase your products against a festive background. Just add a cool filter and you’re good to go. Plus, it’s now possible to add videos as well on Instagram, giving you one more way to bring your products to life. Some brands have even used these videos to simulate the unwrapping of a present.
Tip #2: Holiday hashtags
It’s the time of year when Twitter is overflowing with holiday hashtags. It’s time to be creative and break out of the clutter. Hashtags like #HappyHolidays are nice, but even nicer are hashtags that hint at the types of emotions a recipient might feel after receiving your products as a gift. One trending hashtag this season has been #MistletoeKissesGuaranteed. It’s a bit long as far as hashtags go, but perfectly captures the sentiment of the season in a clever way (much better than #YourWifeWillLoveYou)
Tip #3: Live holiday events
There are so many different ways to livestream video – Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Periscope – that it’s worth experimenting with livestreaming of special holiday events – such as special customer appreciation sales events or celebrity guest appearances at a store (even if it’s just the mall Santa). You’ll want to promote this event a few days in advance to ensure the biggest possible audience, but it might be a good way to engage with your biggest fans via a popular platform like Facebook.
Tip #4: Year-end holiday contests
On Twitter or Facebook, it’s easy to run quick contests. You want to be careful here, but asking something like “What was your memorable moment of the year with us?” could be turned into a cute holiday contest. Users could submit their favorite brand interactions, and the best one would win a prize, just in time for Christmas.
Tip #5: Holiday “Stories” on Instagram
One easy way to offer customers a behind-the-scenes look at your business is with Instagram Stories. You can take photos of your employees or storefront, add in a nice video, and package it all up as a holiday-themed Story for your followers.
Of course, you have to be a little careful here – nobody likes a brand that’s too promotional or that’s trying too hard to move product before Christmas. But people will always forgive any marketing campaign that features cure animals (reindeer!) or traditional scenes of snow, sleigh bells and Santa. So have yourself a merry little Christmas on social media this year!
