5 Social Media Tips for the Holidays

As we get ever closer to the holiday season, the time has come for e-commerce businesses to start launching their holiday marketing strategies. Granted it isn’t even October yet, but social media and the holidays go together like peas and carrots. Ecommerce sales during the holiday season grew 14% last year to a total of almost $43 billion in the US alone and are expected to increase another 15.1% this year. There is a huge volume of business out there if you know how to find it.

With so many choices for social businesses, it’s important to have a good plan in place to take full advantage of the possibilities social media provides. In order to do this, there are several must-do’s for any social media plan.

1. Listen to the Ghost of Holidays Past

Take a look at holiday campaigns that have been run in the past. Look at the results and determine why they were successful or where improvements could be made. Was it the messaging? The offer? The day(s) that they ran? This type of information is incredibly valuable. Design your current campaign with what you learned, and be flexible enough to make changes should your initial campaign need some tweaking.

2. Don’t be a Scrooge

There’s a reason the song is titled, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” People from all around the world embrace this time of year; make sure your business does too. Confirm that your logo, brand images, social pages, etc. all are redesigned to be festive. Consider changing your brand message to coincide with the spirit of the holidays. Also, don’t be afraid to show your corporate culture. Post pictures of your team from holiday events, including any sort of charity events in which you may take part. These are great ways to humanize your brand.

3. Keep the messaging consistent

This could go along with number one. Use successful messaging from previous campaigns, remembering to make any improvements or updates. Verify that messages used on different social channels remain the same. There’s no better way to lose the confidence of the customer than to show different language on your site than you use on social media.

4. Remember those on your card list

Consumers are 71% more likely to make a purchase from a referral on social media. Leverage connections you may have with your current customers. Existing customer databases and social media connections are ideal opportunities to drive more sales during the holidays. These are people who have already shown an interest in your brand. Design specific emails or other outreach methods specifically for them using any information you may have.

5. Budget Accordingly

One of the most common mistakes businesses make is not allocating enough resources to their holiday campaigns. A proper campaign should run from the end of October through the first part of January. Look at the sales trends from last year, and take care to note the days with the highest sales. Compare these to the traditional “big spending” days like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Green Tuesday and the week before Christmas and plan any PPC or other social advertising items accordingly.

The holidays can be a great time of year for businesses on social media. If they are leveraged properly, social campaigns can be a major source of traffic and sales for an e-commerce website. Taking the time to properly plan and execute for the holidays is essential if a business is to be successful. What plans have you made for the holidays? Are there any tips you would share? Let us know in the comments section below!

via Business 2 Community http://www.business2community.com/social-media/5-social-media-tips-holidays-0629803?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=5-social-media-tips-holidays