During the holidays, businesses are constantly scrambling to get more attention from consumers.
They pull out all kinds of tricks to get people into their stores.
One of the most important things you should be doing at this time of year is to use social media to reach out and communicate with your target audience in order to keep your brand in their minds while they shop.
Social media allows companies a place to connect directly with their customers on a more personal level.
This is the time of year when you will see people posting about their shopping conquests, incredible deals, and biggest disappointments.
You want to make sure you are taking part in all of those conversations in order to engage with your target audience.
Here is what you should be doing on social media during the holidays in order to spread more cheer and drive more sales: Spread the local cheer The holidays are celebrated differently in every city around the world.
If you are a small business owner, make sure you are embracing the holiday customs in your own community and post about them on your social channels.
Talk about the upcoming holiday parade in your city.
Or better yet, find a way that your business can be a part of it: enter a float, carry a banner, or even just become a sponsor.
Host a small charity event at your location, such as a toy drive for local children or a canned food drive for your community food bank.
Send out a tweet inviting people to the store for hot chocolate and cookies.
Invite a high school choir to sing carols at your business.
Get creative! Ask for user-generated content This is a big time for social advertising.
Users tend to become immune to the typical advertisements that pop up on their news feeds.
Give your audience something more genuine and unique by inviting some of your followers to share their own holiday photos and videos with you on social media.
Showcasing real people who support your brand is a great way to post fresh content and connect with your audience on a deeper level.
This is especially important at this time of year and can help forge a deeper loyalty to your brand.
Post to all of your channels While Facebook is still the largest channel for social networking, that doesn't mean you should overlook all of your other channels during the holidays.
Make sure you are sharing holiday photos on Instagram.
Tweet your favorite holiday movie quotes.
Put up a "Happy Holidays" message from your company on YouTube.
Create content that is appropriate for each channel and each audience.
The holidays are an important time of year for consumers and businesses alike.
It can be a time to create lasting relationships between a brand and a buyer.
Embrace your community and spread the holiday cheer through your social media.
How do you bring the holidays to your social media marketing?