Social Media and Holiday Marketing: How to Combine Them?

Nowadays, companies find holiday marketing to be quite necessary. Holidays are a very good time to show off your goods and services to clients who want to treat themselves and close ones. One of the greatest ways for such marketing? Social media.

Yes, social media seems to be everywhere these days. It appears like everyone has an account, and they spend a lot of time scrolling. Not to use that channel in marketing would be wrong regardless of what your business sells or how big it is. Let’s discuss.

When to Start?

Firstly, when should you start working on your very special holiday marketing? Well, the previous holiday season sounds perfect. It is never too early; right after you complete the work for one year, you need to begin considering the next strategy and planning it extensively.

Which does mean that you know a lot about your previous campaign. Study it, figure out what went right or wrong, and then use that knowledge to make the next year’s approach better.

As for making actual contact with the clients through social media, October sounds like a good time to begin. In October, people are already preparing for Halloween, and you can use that time to show them what you have to offer. 

Overall, starting early is a good idea. That gives you plenty of time to figure out who to market to.

Who You Are Marketing to?

People tend to have different views, expectations and desires regarding social media and its use by brands during the holidays. In its 2024 report, the Bazaarvoice finds that specific groups within the audience like different things. Based on the findings, it appears that text posts do not gain the attention of some buyers, but Boomers are more likely to appreciate them. Videos are particularly favored (by 37% of buyers), but 24% of social media users would enjoy a post with a single photo. 

With such a variety in opinion, it seems logical to employ multiple methods. You can even try to craft messages that appeal to a specific audience using investigations similar to the one by Bazaarvoice. 

According to the Bazaarvoice, one-third of buyers favor personalized holiday content. And 43% would like to find gift ideas or guides on social media, even though only 13% directly use the media to acquire gifts. These numbers show the value of social media to modern-day marketing.

With such insights, think how you want to be marketing, to whom, and where. Every business is unique in that regard, and you need to find the perfect approach for you. 

The manner of giving is worth more than the gift.

Pierre Corneille, French dramatist

What Are Your Vehicles for USG Marketing?

User generated content (USG) — everyone wants it, but how do you get it? The simplest solution is to encourage users to talk about you on social media. Multiple tactics can be used to achieve that outcome. We recommend three of them.

• Hashtags. Trending is not something done intentionally; it just happens to you. But that does not mean you should not try. Every holiday, you can create a hashtag for your clients to use. The theme needs to be suitable for the specific holiday, and you should try and incorporate your brand. And if the hashtag goes viral, it means you have studied your audience well (and have luck on your side).
• Giveaways. A very simple and usually welcome method of USG promotion is a giveaway. Promise a gift to your clients for doing something easy, for instance, posting a photo with your product. Use hashtags to check who participates and who gets the most views. Create the rules and don’t forget to reward the winner!
• Challenges. Giveaways usually have few requirements and are easy to participate in. Challenges can be a little more complicated. They can require doing something impressive: creating a beautiful video or sharing a story in a compelling way. They can also use hashtags, and they have to include your brand or product. Challenge your clients to participate for a prize and watch them create great USG.

What Are Your Plans?

A business can do what a lot of people are doing right now, that is, plan for the new year. Do it publicly, through social media. Share your hopes and dreams for the future. Your followers might do the same and share the festive spirit. It can even be an idea for a hashtag or other USG-promoting activities. 

This is where you need to think ahead and do it creatively. Your audience probably does not care how much revenue you hope to collect. But it might be interested in new items or services you offer, as well as you giving back to your community. 

The holiday spirit is always about giving, not taking. See if you can do that. You can even involve your clients! For example, announce that you will donate a set amount from every purchase to a charity that fits your brand. Social media will help you make promises to your current and potential clients; just keep them!

In Conclusion

Social media were made for holiday marketing. You can use many methods, which would ideally depend on your analysis of your target audience. You can try to go viral, too, for better coverage. But even if you do not manage to make your hashtag trend, you still need to employ social media. After all, it is extremely helpful.

Insolvo is there to help you all the way, too. Place a task and have copy or media made for you or even delegate developing a strategy to freelancers!