The holidays are here, and it’s time to ramp up your social media strategy. This season is crucial for retail and ecommerce businesses. Social media provides businesses of all sizes with a cost effective way to communicate with millions of people. By coordinating the right holiday marketing campaign, you can boost customer engagement with your brand, and watch your sales soar!

At Eden, we’re all about holiday spirit, so we’ve decided to give you the gift of social media marketing tips this holiday season!

Here’s how to get the most out of your social media strategy during the holidays:

1. Know Who Your Target Market is During the Holidays

During the holidays, it’s important to re-evaluate your target market. Your target demographic, and the people who are purchasing your products/services can be different during the holiday season than the rest of the year. It’s crucial that your marketing speaks to the demographics that will be purchasing your products, and not just the people who will use them. Many purchasers will be buying for others during the holidays.

2. Choose the Right Social Media Platform

With so many social media channels to choose from, honing in on the most effective channels is a vital step in your social media marketing strategy. Assess your industry and target market to determine what platforms are going to drive the most engagement, and lead to a boost in your sales.

3. Combine Paid and Organic Social Media Marketing

Take advantage of the power of both paid social media marketing and organic social media marketing to extend your reach as far as possible.

Consistent organic social media posting will keep your current customers engaged with your brand, and remind them why they should continue doing business with you. Organic social media is a way to have a conversation with your current customers, stay top of mind, and make sure you products or services end up on their holiday wishlist!

Paid social media advertising, on the other hand, focuses on building new customers, and boosts your brand awareness, extending your reach to people who don’t already follow your brand. By setting your target to match the demographics that buy your products (perhaps as gifts!), you can attract new customers and increase your following and sales.

4. Focus on Providing Great Customer Service Online

During the holidays, consumers tend to be stressed, and require a little more attention, especially if they run into a problem. In the digital age, frustrations tend to show up on social media. Alleviate some of your customers’ fears by being active and responsive on social media. If people have questions or concerns, be available to answer in a timely manner. Everyone enjoys good customer service, and when it is on a public platform like social media, it opens the door for other consumers to develop a positive impression when they see you handle a tough situation like a champ!

5. Give Social Media Promotions and Contests a Try!

Using social media promotions and contests are a great way to drive engagement with your brand. Give a percent off shipping when customers use a code promoted on your social media accounts. You can also have a contest, and give away free products or discounts to the winner. Your focus should be on getting people excited about your brand, not selling. By focusing on the customers and engagement, sales will follow.

6. Get in the Spirit With Holiday Themed Marketing

Intertwining the holidays into your social media strategy in December is a must. Everyone loves a little festivity and holiday spirit as the holidays approach. Most importantly, getting into the spirit of the holidays shows your followers that you are present and sharing in the festivities of the season.

Having holiday themed marketing will also allow you a line into current conversations and ensure customers can feel good about doing business with you. (No one wants to do business with the Grinch!) Look for popular trends and hashtags that people are talking about, and pull them into your marketing. This will help connect your business and posts with others who are interested in those themes and hashtags.

What is your social media strategy this holiday season? We’d love to hear your thoughts on what makes good holiday marketing!

If you don’t yet have a social media marketing strategy, contact Eden! We can help you launch a holiday themed marketing campaign on social media just in time for the season! It’s still not too late to get into the holiday action.