With the upcoming holiday season promising to be bigger than ever, you’re likely planning a big product push in your catalog and on your website, along with some holiday sales promotions and themed events.
To support those efforts, it’s important to build a robust social media content calendar.
Read: How to Create a Content Calendar for Your Brand
According to Social Media Today, “the holidays offer you a great opportunity to create engaging content that can drive traffic to your website, social media pages and even boost sales.”
First, they suggest “giving a holiday flavor to your social media pages” by updating your Facebook, Twitter cover images. Also consider designing a fun temporary holiday version of your logo by adding a Santa hat or mistletoe.
Here are some examples of clever holiday logos from big brands.
Once you’ve updated your branding, you can start building social media content. Here are 5 great ideas to get you started.
Recipes
Everyone associates home cooking with the holidays. There are obvious ways to tie in recipes if you sell cookware, kitchen appliances or baked goods. But even if don’t, there are many creative ways to share a recipe.
For example, a tech company could share “Our CEO’s favorite cookie recipe”; a company that sells patio furniture could tout “7 holiday cocktails to enjoy on the patio”; and a sweater company could promote “Our best hot-chocolate recipe ever.”
Ask your followers to post pictures of their dishes and tag your brand! You could even hold a photo contest and include a giveaway to one (or many) lucky winners.
DIYs and Craft Projects
Not only are people searching online for creative ways to decorate their home and office for the holidays, they’re also searching for fun craft projects to do with the kids during the break.
Find ways to showcase your products and services within these projects. Offer downloadable/printable step-by-step directions on your website to keep your brand front and center. Again, ask followers to post pictures of their creations and tag your brand.
Gift Lists
Curate products by demographic segment like “Our best gifts for dad” or by price point like “20 stocking stuffers under $10.” If you offer a service, consider offering gift cards or “gift subscriptions” for a certain length of time.
Showcase these lists on a separate Pinterest board or on your Instagram feed. Ask followers to vote for, like or share their favorites!
12-Days of Christmas
This tactic can be used to showcase 12 different tangible products (Krispy Kreme famously used this approach with their 12 Days of Donuts campaign), but it could also be used to creatively highlight 12 different features of your software or 12 benefits of using your brand over a competitor.
Use social media to highlight a new product or feature each day. You could even offer your followers a special coupon code to purchase these select 12 products!
Holiday-Themed Video
With the popularity of video still on the rise, consider decorating your office and offering viewers a behind-the-scenes tour of your company. Hire a Santa to present your products to viewers in an engaging way, or “go live” during an office holiday party!
Read: How to Create a Live Video Stratety for Social Media Marketing
Buyers love feeling connected to a brand in a personal way – especially during the holidays. Leverage the desire for connection by offering content that feels special and unique to the most magical time of year.
For more great ideas, check out Social Media Today’s 100 Content Ideas for Holiday Social Media Marketing and feel free to share your ideas in the comment section below.
