Holiday Marketing Using Social Media

Crystal VilkaitisThis blog is dedicated to keeping you abreast of the latest online marketing tactics and technologies. It is impossible for any one person to be expert in all the fast-evolving Web opportunities. So this week, I've asked my friend Crystal Vilkaitis to share her tips for holiday marketing using social media. Crystal is the director of social media for SnapRetail. She has been using social media since 2007, and was recently featured in Fast Company's Most Influential Person Online campaign ranking in the top 2%. Crystal works with independent retailers teaching them how to use social media tools to bring traffic into their stores and strengthen the relationship with their customers.

It's the busiest, and often the most profitable, time of the year. With Halloween around the corner and fall soon turning into winter, it's time to start planning your holiday marketing campaigns to ensure a successful season. Sixty-five percent of retail marketing executives think social media is "most important" for the upcoming shopping seasons according to Bizo. Don't wait to start planning; here are some ideas to help you brainstorm your campaigns for this joyous time of year.
Facebook and Photos and Fun...oh my!
This season make sure you are utilizing photos on your Facebook page and having fun doing it. Photos and videos have the highest response rate out of all posts on Facebook. Post a picture of a jar of candy and ask your Likes to guess how many pieces of candy there are by leaving a comment on the photo. The person closest wins a gift card to your store or free merchandise. This is a fun way to bring this type of tradition online and gain exposure for your store's Facebook page.
You could also hide a Santa figurine within one of your store displays, take a picture, post on Facebook and inform your network that the first person to find Santa and tag themselves as the Santa within the photo wins a free Christmas gift or certificate. It's like Where's Waldo: Christmas Edition!
Finally, don't forget to take pictures of your holiday displays, costumes your employees and customers are sporting, holiday decorations and cheerful shoppers.
Join Twitter Conversations with Hashtags
Many retailers haven't ventured into the Twittersphere yet but this holiday season could be a good time to start. The best way to participate in the conversation is by using hashtags*. If you're unfamiliar with hashtags, they help to categorize tweets to help users easily find information they are looking for. A hashtag is created by using the ‘#' symbol before a word or acronym.
Example: We'll be at #hpmkt next week and are doing some social media seminars. Join us if you can! The #hpmkt is the hashtag and it stands for High Point Market. Anyone can create and use any kind of hashtag (sales, TV shows, bands, expressions, etc).
For the holiday season, I suggest participating in the #BlackFriday, #SmallBizSat, #CyberMonday (if you sell online), #sale, #coupon, #xmasgift and #giftidea hashtags. These can be used during any part of your tweet, and users search and monitor these keywords to find holiday deals. Also, for all my brick and mortar stores, I suggest using your city/town as a hashtag too. Ex: If you're looking for a great #xmasgift for your daughter, we've got candle gift sets she'll love! #SanDiego
Season of Giving - Share it!
The holidays are a great time to give back. Many communities have volunteering opportunities that you and your staff can take part in. Or, you could create your own event in your store like a toy or food drive, fundraiser, holiday party, etc. You could reward your customers who bring in a toy or can of food by giving them a $5 credit to use in your store. These types of events are great to promote by creating a Facebook Event Page and live Tweeting about, and at, the event.
On your Facebook page, encourage your network to share their favorite place to volunteer during the holidays. For those who are looking at getting involved, link to non-profits and volunteering opportunities in your area and post to Facebook and Twitter.
Make social media a part of your holiday marketing this season. It does take some time but it's a free tool that allows you to talk directly to your customers. Happy Holidays and Happy Facebooking & Tweeting!
*Note: before you start tweeting, I always suggest for retailers to go to Twellow.com, click on Twellowhood and see if there are any Tweeps (Twitter users) in their area. If your store is in a location where not many people use Twitter, then this outlet wouldn't be best for you unless you sell online. If there are a lot of Tweeps (Twitter users) in your area, then I strongly suggest this platform.
For more helpful tips, register for one of Crystal's webinars at http://snapretail.com or visit the SnapRetail Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/snapretail .