Want to steamroll your competition (ahem!) hands down this holiday season? Easy. Pull out all the stops on your social media efforts. Pronto. Now, I am no social media pundit, but going by Deloitte.com’s report, social media is going be the hand that could rock your holiday sales’ cradle this season. No kidding! In fact, according to Deloitte, the 2016 holiday season will see an estimated 3.6 to 4% increase in dollars spent compared to the 2015 season. That translates into $1 trillion in sales. Of which digital interactions will influence 67% — or $661 billion — of retail stores this season.
It means you need to put your social media campaigns into gear at the first given opportunity, specifically your Facebook and Instagram pages, given that these two platforms are gonna be the hotbed for holiday activity this season. More than that, rope in your copywriters to do all the talking (err, writing) on your social media walls.
And, be assured, you’d enjoy a rollicking holiday sales this year.
Here are the top social media platforms that small and big business should focus upon if they want to drive big bang for their bucks, this holiday season.
1. Be more friends with Facebook
Well, there’s no escaping it. Facebook is unmistakably and solidly the numero uno in the social media marketing space.
So, marketers need to be more friends with Facebook than any other social media platform: specifically during the holiday season. The other amazing fact that marketers can relish about Facebook is that users tend to share more posts, photos and videos here, specifically during the holidays: it was 26% last year, and nearly 49% of video posts were shared.
But then, make sure your Facebook posts comply with the modern conventions. One, it should be mobile-friendly, given that over 80% of the posts, photos and videos would be viewed only on mobile. Two, it should revolve around different holiday themes. Say, for instance, it could revolve around hot product launches, both for online and in-stores, or killer holiday deals, or Cyber Monday discount sales and much more.
Come to think of it, you can even try posting plain Christmas greeting cards if you have got nothing better to offer. But then again, ideally, companies should design downloadable images with an express purpose of enabling its social media followers to post images easily without having to Google the right images to share.
The videos, in particular, can focus on behind-the-curtain holiday scenes in your office – it can be your staff humming Silent Night while they go about decorating your office halls in streamers and stars, or the hustle and bustle of the big holiday bash you are preparing for, or for that matter a run-of-the-mill chit-chat with Father Christmas about the big holiday discounts in the offing, and much, much more. You can even try posting videos on new product launches.
Facebook statistics that matter:
- People who say they’ll buy on mobile are 1.81 times more likely to use Facebook to research gift ideas.
- Millennials are 1.53 times more likely to use Facebook to research gift ideas than other generations.
2. Influence more with Instagram
The Instagram elephant was always there in the room. It’s just that it is making its presence felt more and more these days. Owned by Facebook, the site has over 500 million active users, according to statista.com. In fact, 95 percent of Instagram users are also on Facebook.
Social Media Examiner’s 6 Holiday Instagram Marketing Tips for Businesses offers amazing tactics that can help businesses grab user attention and increase engagement with holiday shoppers on Instagram. As the article explains, you can start off by displaying images of complementary products and then request users to take their best pick. Or you can post an image that speaks of a charitable cause you are associated with. This will not only attract user attention but can also influence them to chip in their bit as well. In addition, you can even feature alternative products and thereby increase chances of sale of the main product.
Oh, yes! No matter what, employ a mix of general hashtags mixed with hashtags that are related to your industry and the holiday season. It’s because using general hashtags usually means your images will never get discovered — they’re too commonly used. Niche hashtags or a mix of hashtags, on the other hand, exposes your images to a more targeted audience.
Instagram statistics that matter:
- People who say they’ll buy on mobile are 1.85 times more likely to use Instagram for gift inspiration.
- Millennials are 3.19 times more likely to use Instagram for gift inspiration than other generations.
3. Pep up your Pinterest account
Turns out there are about 82 million searches for gifts on Pinterest, according to a Pinterest data. On the top of it, 55% of the Pinterest followers use it to find or shop products, given that pinners tend to spend as much as the general public. So if your business isn’t on Pinterest, it’s time to get started.
Start with creating gift guides for your loyal followers. It’s because almost 69% of people search online before visiting a store for gifts. Take, for instance, Crafty Yankee, gift guide on their Pinterest account. The company, in association with a small business and a local blogger, participated in group boards to create gift ideas with pins of the products.
Plus, you can show off your special holiday launches.
Further, the social media network offers Product Pins and Buyable Pins. This makes it easier for customers to gather as much information as possible on the products and then easily click and purchase from a pin.
Pinterest statistics that matter:
- Nearly 82 million searches for gifts on Pinterest.
- 55% of the existing followers are going to shop on Pinterest.
4. Say yes to YouTube with your whole heart
For all the success an image draws on Instagram and Pinterest, it stands to reason that You Tube is equally popular, if not more so, because of its eye-catching videos. About 80% of shoppers watched product reviews and ratings before going for their big purchases last year.
Not sure, how to leverage YouTube marketing this holiday season?
Simple: First off, join hands with vloggers who have already been there, done that, when it comes to addressing your specific target market.
Second, allow some freedom to vloggers to use their own voices, because it’s their voices that gave them super stardom in the YouTube realm in the first place. So, think twice, before impressing your ideas on your vloggers.
Also, request your vloggers to add a unique element to keep viewers hooked. It could be in the form of “Unboxing” type video, where you could launch holiday releases or share gift ideas to impress your viewers.
5. Trigger higher interest with Twitter
Last year, 61% of users said Twitter had influenced their buying decisions. Well, it could be because it’s common for people to keep tweeting about their shopping experiences from November through December, thanks to the holiday season., with December being the month of last-minute purchase decisions.
Marketers could use this information to make purchase decisions easier for the shoppers.
Sure enough, you can use promoted tweets, along with images, videos and campaign hashtags to attract retweets, likes, and follows. Twitter conversational ads are set up with a special call to action button and customizable hashtags that could encourage consumer engagement.
Once the user taps the call to action button, a pre-crafted tweet appears with a brand message. Users could tweet the same or add their two cents before sharing it with the followers.
Plus, if the user clicks on the contents of the tweet, including the image, he or she could be directed to your landing page, which in turn could drive sales for your website. So, it makes sense if you come up with a special holiday calendar on your website, which user could happily browse on Twitter.
Additional strategies to drive customers to your website through Twitter:
- Run your app installation campaigns and request users to install your app.
- Go back to your regular routine of employing those 140 characters to launch discounts, product updates, and more.
- Use photos, GIFs, videos and even create Tweet carousels to display multiple products at the same time. Also, don’t forget, feature your logo on images and video frame.
- Use strong calls to action with clear deadlines to create a sense of urgency.
- Use creative ads, in rotation, to boost brand exposure without repeating yourself.
- Leverage Website cards as well, which could help draw the attention of holiday shoppers.
Rounding Off
Social media has outgrown its ruddy image of simply being your random-thought-display- board to a powerful communication tool for brands and small businesses alike. After all, a thoughtful communication is what brings businesses closer to its customers. So if you really want to enjoy high-spirited sales this holiday season, get your social media accounts to do all the talking – loud and clear.
Are you eyeing any other social media platform, besides the 5 mentioned above, to rake in more sales this holiday season? Go ahead! Let us know about in the comment section.
The post 5 Tips to Stay On Top Of Social Media Efforts During The Holiday Hustle appeared first on GetResponse Blog - Online Marketing Tips.
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