{"id":6693,"date":"2022-11-02T12:02:43","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T12:02:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/"},"modified":"2022-11-02T12:02:43","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T12:02:43","slug":"7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"7 tips for a holiday-ready social media strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The things that are vital for brands throughout the rest of the year are even more critical to social media success during the holidays.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s more noise, people are distracted, and they\u2019re busy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>How do you ensure your posts cut through the noise and keep their attention through the holiday season?<\/p>\n<p>Here are seven tips to make your social media strategy holiday-ready.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#1_Be_helpful\" >1. Be helpful<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#Go_above_and_beyond\" >Go above and beyond<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#2_Make_an_impact\" >2. Make an impact\u00a0<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#Go_above_and_beyond-2\" >Go above and beyond<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#3_Be_relevant\" >3. Be relevant<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#Go_above_and_beyond-3\" >Go above and beyond<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#4_Acknowledge_their_pain_points_or_stressors\" >4. Acknowledge their pain points or stressors<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#Go_above_and_beyond-4\" >Go above and beyond<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#5_Know_your_audience\" >5. Know your audience\u00a0<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#Go_above_and_beyond-5\" >Go above and beyond\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#6_Dont_waste_their_time\" >6. Don\u2019t waste their time<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#Go_above_and_beyond-6\" >Go above and beyond\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#7_Have_a_plan\" >7. Have a plan\u00a0<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#Go_above_and_beyond-7\" >Go above and beyond<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/7-tips-for-a-holiday-ready-social-media-strategy\/#Amp_up_the_engagement_during_the_holidays\" >Amp up the engagement during the holidays<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Be_helpful\"><\/span>1. Be helpful<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Give your audience <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/what-is-helpful-content-google-387360\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the info they\u2019re looking for<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/social-niche-authority-388010\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">earn their trust<\/a> and, as a result, their attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Simplify their experience by providing:<\/p>\n<p>Click-to-shop options directly from your social profiles.Direct links to products or booking information from your posts to assist them in finding what they need quickly.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Work with complementary businesses to provide one-stop shopping and tag those businesses in your posts. Not only is this helpful to your customer base, but it also expands the reach of both brands.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Go_above_and_beyond\"><\/span>Go above and beyond<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Brainstorm ideas to help your audience simplify their lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Offer expedited delivery options or added service perks to save time during the busy season.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you have an HVAC company, offer free furnace filter changes with service calls.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Does your restaurant deliver? Send utensils and disposable containers to help with cleanup.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Small touches can make a big difference.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Make_an_impact\"><\/span>2. Make an impact\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>How are you helping others this time of year?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re in the service industry, retail, or anything in between, customers want to support businesses that support their communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Give back by:<\/p>\n<p>Providing community outreach.Collecting items for food or clothing drives.Using your physical location to be a dropoff point for donations to a charitable organization.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Stay away from polarizing issues or causes to avoid alienating members of your audience.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Go_above_and_beyond-2\"><\/span>Go above and beyond<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Team up with a nonprofit to help your community members make an impact.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Host a donation drive.Provide holiday meals to families.Allow members of your team to choose causes that are important to them.Support those organizations with time or monetary donations if possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Parker Colorado\u2019s West Main Taproom + Grill offers free appetizers to anyone who brings in donations for a local nonprofit\u2019s winter coat drive. They\u2019re helping the community and driving new business \u2013 everybody wins.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Be_relevant\"><\/span>3. Be relevant<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Is your offering timely or relevant to your customers\u2019 lives? How can you make sure it is?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One of the easiest ways to determine if your content is providing value to your audience is to simply ask.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>People love sharing their opinions, so use that opportunity to streamline your content.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Go_above_and_beyond-3\"><\/span>Go above and beyond<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Incorporate being relevant with being helpful, and you\u2019re sure to score major points with your customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Provide them with helpful, timely information that makes their lives easier, and they will remember you when it\u2019s time to spend their hard-earned dollars.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing\u2026Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Acknowledge_their_pain_points_or_stressors\"><\/span>4. Acknowledge their pain points or stressors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some of your customers may be experiencing difficulties this time of year. How can you help alleviate that stress?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The holiday season often creates a massive influx of mail (both electronic and physical), advertising, and social media posting. Don\u2019t be that brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You do not need to send email blasts multiple times per day unless you\u2019ve got something you know will resonate well with your audience. (<strong>Tip<\/strong>: A 10% off coupon is not that something!)<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Go_above_and_beyond-4\"><\/span>Go above and beyond<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Think of things your brand can do to take something off of your customers\u2019 plates, reduce stress, or make their lives easier.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Hire a massage therapist to provide chair massages in your lobby while people wait for appointments.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you have a large space, provide supplies and schedule a weekend for customers to come to your location and wrap holiday gifts.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A reasonably small investment may be priceless in the eyes of your customer base, even if they don\u2019t take advantage of your offer.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Know_your_audience\"><\/span>5. Know your audience\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you don\u2019t know your audience, how can you give them what they want?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Spend time before your busy season getting to know your audience members and customers to ensure you\u2019re speaking to them in a way that resonates.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Be inclusive by being considerate of the fact that many people have different holidays and traditions that they celebrate.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Acknowledge that while not everyone is the same, we can celebrate each other regardless of those differences.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Go_above_and_beyond-5\"><\/span>Go above and beyond\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Know your competition\u2019s audience as well and step up when the competition falls short.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Be available on community groups to swoop in and provide assistance when your competitors don\u2019t hold up their end of the deal with their customers.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Dont_waste_their_time\"><\/span>6. Don\u2019t waste their time<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Don\u2019t add to the already overwhelming holiday noise.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Make sure posts, emails, and other communications have a point and are worth reading, and then follow through with their entire customer experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Providing a spectacular experience on social media, but then making people wait 40 minutes for a scheduled appointment unravels all of the hard work you\u2019ve done.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, be sure your offerings are actually worth clicking on.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Making a big deal about a huge sale or massive discount and then offering a 10% discount or restricting sales to specific items is not only a waste of time. You\u2019re going to frustrate your customers and lose their trust, making them less likely to shop with you or use your services now or in the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Go_above_and_beyond-6\"><\/span>Go above and beyond\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Find a way to save them time. Hassle-free returns, expedited appointment options, and concierge services are all excellent ways to give your customers a little extra time back during the busy holiday season.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Have_a_plan\"><\/span>7. Have a plan\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>All of the awareness, consideration, and helpful intention are not going to get you anywhere if you don\u2019t know your goals and find a path to execute them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/seasonal-content-marketing-guide-387771\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Map out your content<\/a> and have a plan for promotions.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Schedule posts in advance to help streamline <strong>your<\/strong> busy schedule, but be sure to pause both organic and paid campaigns if something happens that would cause your content to seem insensitive or inappropriate to your audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Set realistic goals and expectations, and have a procedure for how to handle things if expectations are not met or things go awry.<\/p>\n<p>No one is perfect, and customers understand this.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But how you handle those moments of imperfection can ensure you lose a customer or gain a lifelong brand advocate. Be sure to respond accordingly.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Go_above_and_beyond-7\"><\/span>Go above and beyond<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Create a special product or offering that your customers will get excited about.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Nerdy Nuts knows their fans love their products, and that they get super excited about new flavors and special offerings.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This year, they\u2019re releasing a holiday advent calendar with a variety of both favorite and all-new flavors.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On-brand, relevant, exciting, and \u2013 combined with their fantastic social media support \u2013 helpful.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Amp_up_the_engagement_during_the_holidays\"><\/span>Amp up the engagement during the holidays<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While you\u2019re at it, have fun! Social media is designed for engagement and interaction.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Share relevant brand messaging in a way that encourages your audience to not only get to know you, but to communicate with you and share your content as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Fun, positive, uplifting holiday content not only makes your audience feel good, but it helps them feel good about your brand.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/holiday-social-media-strategy-tips-389131\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">7 tips for a holiday-ready social media strategy<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The things that are vital for brands throughout the rest of the year are even more critical to social media success during the holidays.\u00a0 There\u2019s more noise, people are distracted, and they\u2019re busy.\u00a0 How do you ensure your posts cut through the noise and keep their attention through the holiday season? Here are seven tips to make your social media strategy holiday-ready. 1. Be helpful Give your audience the info they\u2019re looking for, earn their trust and, as a result, their attention.\u00a0 Simplify their experience by [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6693"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6693\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}