When the holiday season arrives, the air changes. Can you feel it too? Even with below-freezing temperatures outside, it feels warmer. People smile at you in passing and offer generous acts of kindness to their communities. That same feeling can be applied to your online presence as well!
The holidays are a great time for sales as a small business owner but can also be really busy for your ideal customers. They’re often searching for the perfect gift, not a new home, local attorney, or family dentist. So how do you handle the holiday season to ensure you stay top of mind?
The holidays have an emotional appeal to them, and if you’re posting relevant content on your social media profiles, then you’re still getting noticed! When people finish stuffing their faces, they’re hitting the couch to watch football and scroll. Long drives and traveling to grandmas house, you can bet there’s some scrolling action. Did you know the average daily user spends roughly 2 hours and 42 minutes on social media? Every. Day. So while yes, the holiday season may be a bit busier than usual, your audience is still finding the time.
The Gift of Giving
Holidays are a time of gift-giving, but it’s also a time of awareness for your business. If your organization regularly donates to charities, seasonal causes, or volunteers their time, tell us about it! Your prospective client may also be involved in that charitable cause enticing them to use your business.
When sharing these charities, be sure you’re also promoting them and showing your clients that you’re invested in more than just profits. You can also boost this content by offering to match donations or gift a percentage of your earnings to charity.
Share The Love
The holiday season is also the perfect time to share the love with other small businesses. From local shopping guides to client spotlights, showcase some of your favorite spots. The best part about supporting local businesses is that you can do it freely. While purchasing products and services do make a direct impact, sharing about your favorite brand helps too! Not only does word-of-mouth build trust, but it also drives $6 trillion in annual global spending.
Consider sharing social media posts, actively engaging with brands by liking or commenting on posts, and best of all, if you’ve enjoyed your experience, leave that business a review! A few minutes of your time can make a world of difference for local shops and small businesses you love.
Gratitude doesn’t just end there. Thanks to friends, family, colleagues, employees, and your clients, your business is where it is today. Consider giving your support system some love too, with behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, “how it started” posts, and a proper year-end thank you.
Holiday Theme to the Extreme
Your level of holiday theme is entirely up to you. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level this season, consider these suggestions:
Site-Wide Graphics
We recommend updating your graphics to reflect the seasons of your business accurately. Update your social media banners, profile images, and landing pages to reflect these seasons during the holidays. It can be as simple as snowflakes falling or as drastic as a red and green overhaul. Remember, not everyone may celebrate the same holidays as you do personally. As a business owner, it’s important to look at your personas and craft your images and promotions to best align with your target audience.
Giveaways & Themed Contests
We said it before, and we’ll say it again – ‘tis the season for giving! It’s no secret that everyone is hunting for a deal. If you’re feeling the holiday cheer, consider creating a giveaway or holiday-themed contest to help drive traffic, new customers and inspire a little fun.
The holidays are also a great time to partner with other local businesses to help inflate your brand’s visibility and sweeten the deal for customers participating.
Go Big or…Go Small
As we transition from fall to winter, small businesses are hit with Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Small Busines Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas! It can feel a bit overwhelming to you and your clients. Instead of focusing on special holiday offers, consider creating sharable social media posts that encourage engagement year-round. That’s right, we’re only in one season, but holidays that bring people together are always happening! Consider spreading the cheer all year by monitoring events and holidays with sites like National Day Calendar and Days Of The Year.
Free Graphics To Get You Started
We know one more thing to do this year. When the holidays start to feel overwhelming or traction on social media feels slow, remember to stay consistent! Aside from promotions, the holiday season has an emotional appeal that can spark community and showcase your business values. When you don’t know what to post, remember straightforward content that is timely, relevant, and sharable can go a long way. Let GreenCup Digital help you keep from going MIA this season by using our free graphics to remind your followers to shop small, support local and embrace the gift of giving! Happy Holidays!
