It’s (somehow) the middle of November, which means the holidays are just around the figurative corner. With customers projected to do their holiday shopping earlier than ever this year, it’s time to start thinking about your holiday social media marketing strategy, if you haven’t already. In fact, Adobe Analytics found a record 33% of consumers plan to finish their holiday shopping by Black Friday. By Black Friday! That being said, the company also expects Cyber Monday to remain the biggest online shopping day of the year, growing 35% year over year, for a record $12.7 billion in online sales. Panicking? Don’t. The Darby team has compiled our top four tips for making the most of your holiday social media marketing.
Holiday Social Media Marketing Tip #1: Put Together a Gift Guide
As public relations practitioners, we work hard to get our clients in targeted holiday gift guides (and to make the most out of our holiday gift guide coverage). However, that doesn’t mean we don’t love putting together our own holiday gift guides, too. With online shopping more prevalent than ever this year, your digital marketing efforts are key to standing out in a crowded marketplace. This means leveraging your social channels, blog, and newsletter to reach new customers, drive website traffic, and usher buyers through the sales funnel.
In fact, Adobe Analytics expects online sales this November and December to surge 33% year over year, for a record $189 billion in online sales. The company expects smartphone transactions to account for 42% of these sales, growing 55% year over year, for a record $28.1 billion in smartphone sales. Perhaps the most astonishing statistic? Adobe Analytics predicts there will be 18 days where digital spending tops $3 billion, compared to just three such days last year. Take advantage of these statistics by putting together your own digital holiday gift guides to move your product!
Holiday Social Media Marketing Tip #2: Reflect on the Year
Ok, so everybody wants to forget that 2020 ever happened. That doesn’t mean you can’t spread some positivity by reflecting on your high points from the year. December is the time to share a roundup of your top moments from the year, your biggest PR hits, your top-performing blog posts, or anything else you want to brag about just a little. Give your top old content some extra legs.
Holiday Social Media Marketing Tip #3: Host a Holiday Giveaway
Use this time to give back to your loyal customers by running a holiday-themed giveaway. When planning your giveaway think about your goals. Are you hoping to grow your social following? Consider hosting the giveaway on Instagram and asking entrants to follow you and leave a comment tagging a friend. Looking to grow your newsletter base? Consider building a newsletter landing page and asking entrants to enter their name and email address to be subscribed.
To maximize the impact, partner with a handful of brands or a highly targeted influencer. The most important part of evaluating a potential partner? Make sure their audience is closely aligned with yours. Are you a boutique brand with an emphasis on sustainability? Look for other up-and-coming brands with environmentally friendly missions. Are you an American-made brand with a mostly millennial audience? Look for other US-based brands that target younger consumers. Partnering with closely aligned brands or influencers will ensure your new followers or subscribers will stick around once the giveaway is over.
Holiday Social Media Marketing Tip #4: Give Back to Others
Speaking of giving back, the holidays are the perfect time to remind folks of your giveback initiatives or nonprofit partnerships and encourage them to contribute resources or get involved (for more on cause marketing, check out our client’s sustainability initiatives here). Plan a series of social posts or put together a blog post highlighting the amazing work you or your nonprofit partner have done this year. Studies show that almost 30% of all annual donations are made during the holidays, especially December.
Don’t let this record-breaking holiday season pass your brand by. If you want to learn how Darby can help your brand have a more impactful social media marketing strategy, drop us a line HERE. You can also go HERE to learn more about the successes we’ve had for our clients in both public relations and digital marketing.