There is no doubt that more and more consumers are turning to media devices to help them make buying decisions. According to a survey by Accenture, 13 percent of consumers surveyed indicated they plan to use social networking sites to help them with holiday shopping in 2014. More than 63 percent plan to use a computer to make purchases and 76 percent indicated they would use mobile services that provide promotions as they shopped. This information suggests that having a holiday social media marketing plan can help you boost sales this holiday season.
1. Develop a plan. Social media can get unwieldy. A plan can insure you have a balance of posts that create interest and excitement, without being overly salesy. If you have data from last year, use it to help you understand what worked and include it in this year’s plan.
2. Make your social media profiles festive. Change your cover photos and other page decor to include images that are reflective of the season.
3. Share holiday information, tips and stories that will appeal to your market. Pay attention to trending topics or hashtags to help you generate content your market wants to know about.
4. Engage with your market. Ask questions or get feedback. For example, do they eat turkey or ham for their feast? Live trees or cut trees? Apple or pumpkin pie?
5. Hold a contest or giveaway. People like a chance to get free stuff.
6. Offer a daily deal or coupon codes. Many people go online to find great deals, so make sure they find yours. Use hashtags to help them find your offer.
7. Share your good deeds. People like doing with companies that do good. If you volunteer or contribute to a charity, share it on social media.
8. Track and analyze your results. One of the great features of social media marketing is that you can easily see what followers respond to and what they don’t, allowing you to make adjustments in your plan if needed.
