It's that time of year again! The holiday season is just around the corner, and it's time to start planning for your promotions on Instagram. With over 500 million active users each day, Instagram is a powerful tool for small businesses. It offers a great way to interact with your customers and get in front of new ones, but it can be difficult to get started. Luckily, there are many hacks and tips that you can use to help improve your Instagram profile and reach more customers. As a content marketing strategist and small business owner, I understand what you are preparing for. My current clients have already developed solid plans to reach potential clients this season and I want to help you do the same. Keep reading for 7 helpful tips that will help ensure you have a successful holiday season and make the most out of your marketing efforts on social media.
Promote special offers and discounted products
Give your followers the heads up. Promote your special deals on your Instagram feed. If you are running a special promotion, make sure to include it in both the post image and the post caption! This way users will be sure to see any holiday deals you are offering.
The best time for promotions is when they align with holiday themes or traditions. For example, Black Friday deals would be a great strategy if that falls during one of the major gift-giving holidays such as Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, or Christmas. Keep in mind how much people tend to spend around these times - offering something compelling could lead them straight into purchasing mode!
If you are trying to drive sales, having a clear call to action in your post is essential. Try using phrases like "Shop Now" or "Visit our website for more information."
Pro tip: Include an image of your contact page with details about pricing and availability - if this isn't possible, include information within the caption itself.
Take a picture of your product with the holidays in the background
Holiday-themed stories could include:
- Holiday party plans and promotions
- Holiday gift ideas for your product/service idea
- Show off a new collection or special offer you have going on!
Pro tip: Turn on holiday filters to get that perfect festive feel! Add holiday fun to any photo. Highlight any holiday prep activities like decorating, baking, gathering with family, packaging orders, etc. This takes little prep time but can add a lot of character to your posts.
Use hashtags strategically to increase awareness about your brand
Use hashtags related to relevant holidays as well as words related specifically to your product or service. Hashtags like #happyholidays, and #christmas are related keywords that will help with exposure. Hashtags related to gifts, happy holidays, gift lists, etc. will allow other users who search those terms on Instagram to see your posts in their feed even if they don’t follow you already. Be sure to search them on Instagram and see what populates when you type in this hashtag. What is the conversation already happening around this particular tag?
Pro tip: Create a hashtag to use for your holiday campaign @Sugarpunchmarketing has a helpful hashtag strategy that is sure to help organize your efforts including a template to organize and track their effectiveness. She also shares helpful social media management tips on her Instagram that are sure to help optimize your online presence!
Want more #hashtag tips? Check out my Quick Strategy for Social Media Visibility
Offer giveaways for customers who follow you on Instagram
Holiday-themed giveaways can be a great way to increase engagement.
Make sure that these are relevant to the type of products or services you offer! Even offering something small like a % off or a free sample product is enough. Be sure to include the details, links, and entry instructions clearly in each post.
Encourage followers to post photos of themselves with your product
Share behind-the-scenes pictures of what goes on at work so customers feel connected to you as an individual and not just a business entity then, also consider directly asking customers to share their experience, unboxing, and reviews on their own personal pages as well. They become ambassadors for your company and spread the word about you to their followers as well. Holiday-themed images work well since they tend to stand out from all other posts which makes them perfect for gaining attention. This type of shoutout is essentially just another form of advertising so it's important not only to create something compelling but also aligned with how your brand would typically communicate.
Tag other businesses in posts about events or deals at their business
Tag other businesses in posts when possible- this way people searching for similar products might click over from yours. This could lead to cross-promotion opportunities that benefit both businesses involved. @mentions are important! This will give you a wider audience and increase the chance that people who follow both of you engage with your content! If they have a large following it could even be possible for their followers to see this.
Create a series of "behind-the-scenes" photos or videos that show what happens at your workplace during the Christmas season. If you're able to do this with an influencer who favors your brand, even better! This could be done by showing them around the office, having them work alongside employees, or showcasing holiday sales. These types of posts work great on stories. They disappear after 24-hours and will help personalize your brand. This is a great way to get your holiday-related promotions out there - it could be as simple as sharing pictures of what's happening at your office during this period. It will also show people behind the scenes so they feel more connected and invested in your company culture.
Pro tip: Stories should build up suspense for upcoming deals that would typically happen on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc. This could include weekly updates about price drops until the big day itself!
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At the end of a long, hard year for entrepreneurs and small business owners alike, it's important to maintain your momentum going into the holiday season and Chula is here to help!
Now is a better time than ever to get started with implementing these tips for success in digital marketing! Let us help you make sure your efforts are successful this holiday season and beyond by scheduling a call today. We want to hear about what’s important for your company so we can work together on creating an actionable plan tailored just for you.
What is the one thing that you will implement today in preparation for the holidays?
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