Social media platforms – like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc – haven’t lost their popularity. The Digital 2022 Global Report confirms that active social media users have now crossed the 4.62 billion mark which is equal to around 58.4% of the world’s total population.
The rise of connected tech continues and now we can say we’re all digitalized today. Social media user numbers continue to grow faster than they did pre-pandemic with the global total still increasing at a rate of almost 13% new users every second.
Breaking All The Rules Post-Pandemic
The cost of social media ad impressions has jumped by more than 20% over the past 12 months, and even though marketers are now spending considerably more on social media ads than they were this time a year ago. They’re seeing fewer overall impressions for their investments.
Seeing these statistics, without a doubt, social media is a vital tool for building your personal or business brand, connecting with potential or existing customers, and advertising your products or services.
But the problem is that all the online noise these days makes it harder and harder to get noticed, much less gain a loyal following.
While the way we do social media marketing is continuously changing, one thing stays the same. It can be the factor that makes or breaks your online business’s success, especially during the busiest holiday season of the year.
To help your business succeed during the holiday season, you need to work on your social media strategies to leverage the most.
Whether you agree or not the holiday season is the perfect time to boost your social media strategy and paid social media efforts to drive sales all season long. As both brick-and-mortar and e-commerce stores continue to deal with the shift in consumer behaviors and the growing demand for online shopping, it’s a good idea to start planning your holiday strategy early!
With all that’s going on in the world, people have had to adjust to the changes that a new reality bought. Businesses (whether a startup or SMBs) had to move their offline efforts into online space quickly, and become more digital (almost entirely, in some cases) than ever before.
With a holiday season coming our way, businesses should be focused on squeezing the most out of the digital world.
Holiday Shoppers will be More Demanding
This year post-pandemic, more than ever, shoppers may value availability and convenience as much, or even greater than price. Therefore, online shoppers may be more willing to check out what other businesses are offering and try out new brands.
According to Google, 70% of online shoppers said they were open to buying from new retailers. They have time to check them out, do research, and make informed decisions. And this year, more than ever, it’s not only the assortment of products that matters.
This is the Season For Holiday Marketing Campaigns
From the coziness of autumn to the magic of winter wonderland, seasonal marketing campaigns call upon the strong emotional connection we feel toward end-of-year holiday traditions. Traditionally, consumers celebrate the holiday season of the year by splurging on gifts for loved ones (and themselves). This year will be no different. Experts predict total retail sales will hit a record high in 2022.
To make the most of the holiday season buzz, brands need to stand out in a competitive market with a strong omnichannel social media strategy. The first step is to understand where, how, and when your audience will shop.
Tips to Optimize your Social Media Strategy for a Successful Holiday Marketing Season
Plan Ahead
There’s nothing worse than needing to post something on a specific day and finding out that you have no content. This is when panic ensues, leading to time wasted and unnecessary stress. To avoid this, you need to plan what and when you’re going to post, and on which social media platforms.
It’s also a good idea to create the artwork to be planned, write the accompanying copy and even draft the response messages for each post that you can customize as needed because audiences will want more information. Remember that the holiday season is also the busiest season of the year, so scheduling your posts for later is a huge life-and time-saver.
Season’s Greetings
Holiday greeting posts may seem like fluff and unimportant, but they’re a great way to yield engagement and connect with your audience. Posting such content shows a more human side of the brand and suggests that the brand cares about its customers. You could ask users what they’re doing for the upcoming holiday season, or just thank them for their loyalty and wish them a safe and happy holiday with their families.
Create Fear of Missing Out around Sales
The fear of missing out – FOMO – is real. Start publishing limited-time deals or special sales a couple of weeks before that you have planned to get your audience excited. Customers are doing more research than usual during the holiday season of the year, so it’s crucial to grab their attention as fast as possible.
Building up hype around an exclusive sale or event allows you to stay at the back of their mind since they wouldn’t want to miss it. Besides, a sale often encourages people who have been on the fence about purchasing to take the plunge. Don’t forget to share reminders as the day of your big launch approaches!
More Investments; The Same Amount of Leads
If you are planning on running social media ads, be prepared to spend more on your social media advertising campaigns. If not, you can skip this point. In short, paid social media ads will be more expensive as more brands are pushing their products and services during the holiday season, and even more, are willing to bid higher to secure those valuable placements.
So to keep up with your competitors, raise your bids as high as you are willing to go though never more than is profitable. Remember to set a bid cap limit on Instagram and Facebook Ads to ensure that you never go over your budget – that would be disastrous indeed.
Give Your Social Media Accounts A Makeover
Changing your social media account aesthetics according to the holiday season is a fun way to keep your customers existing, potential, and engaged. It suggests that your brand is up-to-date and in the know, which are two essential aspects of being successful on social media. Visual changes can be simple, such as adding a Santa hat to your existing logo or temporarily changing your color palette to specific colors.
To wrap up, holiday season and special events of the year give businesses the chance to create posts that people like and share in a way that makes them feel good. Great things take time and good planing.
If you are a bit stress about this festive season, save yourself and contact FCS to manage your social media sites today.
