How to Plan for the Holidays: The Smart Marketer's Social Media Guide

Social media is a crucial element of every marketing strategy, and this is especially true during the holiday period. The holidays are when people think about shopping for the perfect gifts and turning in a page with the start of the new year. It’s the ideal season for sharing ideas, inspiration, and special offers and rewards for loyal and new customers. 

Why social media engagement matters during the holiday season

According to a study by Smartly.io, more than half of consumers turned to social media for holiday shopping inspiration during the 2021 holidays. 

Also, a new study by Twitter revealed that 92% of people actively seek out comments about brands, products, or services on social media. Not only are they reading the comments, but 68% of people said their impression of a brand was changed as a result of experiencing brand conversation. The way a brand communicates with its audience is as important as the copy or design in an ad online. 

These stats underline the need to provide excellent customer service and stay on the pulse of social media conversations to influence shopping behavior.

But when every other brand is trying to do the same, how can you make yours stand out during the holiday shopping season? Read on for 4 tips on how you can drive more engagement!

How to drive engagement during the holidays

1. Ask your audience to engage in fun and meaningful ways.

Interactive elements like polls make users feel more connected to a brand. Ask a question to your audience and leave the polls open for as long as you wish to draw in engagement. Another way to get users to leave comments is to simply ask them! 

Use “Caption This” photos, which is a great way to engage users and leverage their creativity. Choosing fun photos also allows you to showcase the personality of your brand! 

You can also get creative with “This or That” photos. Include different options and invite users to choose their favorite one.

2. Leverage TikTok and influencers for authentic user-generated content

Over 1 billion people turn to TikTok to be entertained, find and share joy, and learn new things. Since 2018, no app has had more downloads than TikTok and today, it is the most engaging social media app by far.

Brands play a critical role in the TikTok experience, with 61% of respondents saying their advertising is different from other social media platforms, saying it's more authentic, fun, real, and trustworthy.

With just one post or hashtag, a product can go viral, boosted by influencers who create compelling content centered around the product. For example, the Stanley Tumbler turned into a social media hit that racked up a 110,000-person waitlist and sold out within hours of restocks. It shot to fame thanks to Millennial and Gen Z influencers (primarily moms) on TikTok, where the hashtag #StanleyTumbler has received more than 10 million views. 

3. Run giveaways and contests that drive engagement

Another way to boost comments and engagement is to host product/service giveaways that ask people to follow your account, comment and tag other users.

Or, throw a contest to inspire your audience to unleash their creativity and create more user-generated content! The options for holiday-themed content are plentiful: the best photo, holiday outfit, meal, decorations… you get the picture!

4. Use social media comments to spread the gift shopping inspiration

What if comments became the new holiday gift registry? Get people in the holiday shopping mood by asking them to tag their friends/family in the comments and drop them a hint on what they’d like for Christmas!

More tips and ways to make 2022 your best holiday season yet

Loved these tips? We have put together a detailed guide complete with more tips like these to help you ensure your social media campaigns perform well and drive engagement that leads to sales!

Brands that can successfully inspire gift purchases while also driving customer trust and loyalty are the ones that will continue to thrive – during the holiday season this year and beyond.

Download the guide now:

Download our Holiday Season 2022: Comment Management Guide to learn more about how you can improve your social media game for the holidays. Plus, get a bonus holiday planning calendar complete with tips to plan your campaigns in time!