It’s that time of the year again when we should have our Christmas marketing campaigns in place.  This time of the year especially can be a great opportunity to surprise and engage your audience, whilst at the same time generating more reach and visibility for your brand.

Have you got your seasonal marketing plan in place?  Here are my ideas:

End of Year Round-ups

End of the year round-ups are a great way to inform your audience of what’s been happening.  Gather figures, such as insights that are relevant.  For example, if you are in the financial services sector you might want to include how many people you’ve helped to get a mortgage, or how many first-time buyers you’ve helped to get on the property ladder in 2018.   You could also consider interviewing contacts in your industry who can offer predictions into the new year ahead.

We have many clients who really like this idea and it helps but them above their competitors in terms of creativity!  Think of how you can be informative or helpful with the content.

Leverage Video and Other Content

It’s not a secret that video marketing is a major trend to exploit. With 50% of consumers looking for a video of a product before visiting the online store* video is an extremely effective method of drawing the attention of your audience.

The content for your campaigns can include existing video or display ads, relevant posts that you’ve written for your blog, or campaigns that you are running on Twitter, Facebook or other channels. By putting these in front of a relevant audiences can significantly increase the value that your previous marketing investments deliver!

Get Behind a Local Charity

Another great way to create a seasonal social media campaign and give back to your community is to get behind a local charity that matters to your brand, your people and audience.  Ask a member of staff, or your boss, to dress up as Santa and visit a local charity to donate Christmas presents to children or instead of sending Christmas cards donate the money to charity!   There are some fantastic ideas here.

Create Social Media Only Offers

Make your audience more special at Christmas time and offer a social media only exclusive offer. This might be in the form of a discount, free delivery, free advice, a 3 for the price of 2 type offer, there’s lots of opportunities you could consider.

I don’t believe in making things complicated and your marketing campaigns don’t have to be either!  Here’s some extra ideas to keep in mind over this Christmas and New Year period:

• Design a special Christmas image which also resonates with your brand, change your social media profiles and header images to reflect your marketing campaign
• Pin posts to the top of your profile on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn Company pages
• Create campaign specific hashtags that you can track. This will help you measure the performance of any marketing campaigns
• Don’t forget to include easy access in which your audience can share your campaign or special offer via your website
• Track your campaign results so you can improve future campaigns
• Use paid ads to increase your reach

Black Friday is around the corner and brands are gearing up for this infamous day and since its inception, social media has played a significant role.  Here’s your complete guide, courtesy of sproutsocial.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my social media marketing ideas for the Christmas season ahead, let the festivities begin!

If you’d like to chat about any of your future social media requirements, bespoke to your company, please contact me on 07752 539719 or 0161 826 7181 or email info@bizwizuk.co.uk.

By Ann Davies, Director

* https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics