The growing use of “social shopping” will greatly influence how people shop this holiday season. Social media is set to have more of a say on Christmas shopping lists this year than ever before, according to a new survey published by consumer advocacy company, Social Media Link. Sites like Facebook and YouTube will serve as primary sources for many consumers looking to discover trending products and reviews from their trusted network of family and friends.

Good news, it’s not too late to capture the attention of your customers by adding some Christmas spirit to your company’s social media accounts. Here are 5 simple tips that will make your social media festive and merry for the holidays.

1. Decorate your cover and profile photo

Your cover photo should primarily represent the values and personality of your brand. But during the holiday season, it can be used to help your customers feel the holiday spirit when they interact with your brand. This can be done by adding a Santa hat or mistletoe to your logo, posting a picture of your office Christmas decorations, or simply adding seasonal hashtags like #Wishlist2015 or #Christmas2015 to your posts to help more customers reach your page.

2. Promote special holiday offers

Most retailers earn as much as 20% of their annual revenue during the Christmas season. Businesses must compete aggressively for their customers by promoting their best holiday deals over social media. Some of the most frequently used holiday deals include: one day only sales, limited quantity sales, buy-one-get-one free, special discounts or holiday coupons. Create some urgency to make a purchase by counting down the days until your deal expires.

3. Share the joy of Christmas

Social media is supposed to be social, so engage your followers with some festive holiday posts. You can start by creating posts that ask people what their most memorable Christmas moment is, their favorite holiday food, or their favorite present as a kid. You can even post decorating tips or holiday recipes that your customers might really value. Conversation on any of these topics will help your brand appear more personal and can bring you closer to your customers.

4. Excite your customers with a holiday give-away

Participate in the giving season yourself and raffle off a gift to your customers. Get them excited over social media by sharing posts with detailed information on prizes, counting the days till the end of the competition or announcing winners through a specially designed post. You can even attract new customers by offering the prize to new followers who subscribe to your newsletter or follow you on social media.

5. Give back to those in need

Show the magic of giving by sponsoring a holiday charity drive. A powerful yet simple way to do that with social media is by saying you will donate 1 dollar for each shared tweet that contains a special hashtag that includes your business name. For inspiration take a look at the #MacysBelieve hashtag campaign that invites kids to send their letters to Santa at participating Macy’s stores.

Now you are ready to get your social media accounts in the holiday spirit! Keep in mind that on average, people actively use three social media accounts so don’t focus on just one platform. Use similar holiday-themed images and posts on all of your social media accounts to create consistency and enable visitors to easily find and recognize your brand on their preferred social media network.

If you have any questions or comments about utilizing social media to engage your audience, feel free to send them our way.

You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 or sarah@youngcompany.com.

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