I know it’s only November but, you should be already thinking about your social media Christmas strategy. One of the biggest mistake brands make is to leave the marketing activities at the last minute. Unfortunately raising the brand awareness, attracting more clients to your website and even improving an engagement online, takes time. That’s why it’s so important to start thinking about your Christmas campaign as soon as possible.

You’re probably wondering where exactly you should spend your marketing budget this year. The key is to analyse the previous holiday season and see which activities worked and which ones weren’t as successful. Knowing that will help you to create a strategy that works and boosts your sales.

Why should you focus on social media?

Every single year more and more people purchase their Christmas gifts online. In fact, over 40% of people buy some presents on the Internet. What is even more interesting is that over 60% do their research first before going into the shops. This means that most buying decisions are actually made online. And this number is still growing… E-commerce orders from social media grew by 202% in 2015.

Where do you start?

Christmas is coming. Start building the awareness.
 November is the perfect time to start mentioning Christmas on social media. Although a lot of people tend to leave their Christmas shopping until the last minute, November is the time when they start searching for inspiration on social media. Start posting festive posts showcasing your great products. Apparently, a customer needs to see your product 7 times before being ready to purchase it. Of course, you don’t want to bombard them with advertising, therefore those 7 posts should be published among all other creative and interesting content. Generally, the rule is that you should post no more than 20% of advertising content on your social media. It’s important because you don’t want to be that brand that everyone hates because of their aggressive promotional posts.

Be creative!

Stand out from your competitors with creative and engaging content that evokes people’s emotions. Implement video marketing, Stories and Facebook Live. Add a bit of personal touch and showcase your brand as the one that is fun and interesting. Play with bright colours and fonts that will grab your customer’s attention when scrolling through their News Feed. Consistency in social media is very important. You don’t want your followers to feel neglected because you are too busy to manage your social media channels. Don’t worry, no one is expecting you to do social media on Christmas Day. You can schedule all your posts using Hootsuite or Sprout Social.

Implement Facebook Advertising

Unfortunately due to new Facebook algorithms, reaching people on social media isn’t as easy as it used to be. Social media giants want you to pay for new leads and engagement. But at the same time, they provide you with all the data, which can be very powerful when targeting your clients. You can reach your existing clients, people who already engaged with your brand and people that are likely to be interested in your products or services. It’s a great way of reminding your customers of your products and reaching people who already visited your website.

Create great deals

Christmas is one of the biggest buying seasons of the year. A lot of brands would increase their marketing budgets to ensure they stand out from their competitors. What can you do to attract more potential customers? Create a great offer. 92% of consumers will look for discounts online before shopping. Buy one get one free, special deals and coupons are great for boosting your Christmas sales. An average household spends a lot of money on gifts every year, which means that any opportunity for saving some money will be always appreciated. The best offers are the ones with limited time. They create a matter of urgency that pushes your audience to make a purchase. 

It’s also worth creating special offers after the New Year as this is the time when people expect post-Christmas deals. It’s also a great opportunity for you to sell the rest of your remaining stock and improve January sales.