97% of shoppers say they're likely to turn to social media for advice before making a holiday purchase. Even knowing that number, your social marketing budget may not be huge. So how do you get your brand in front of those eyeballs?
Social is about more than in-network ads and promos. Every aspect of your holiday marketing should generate long-tail conversations on social media. And as a social marketer, it's your job to accelerate that.
Here are some ways you can make sure every dollar you spend impacts social.
Think Multichannel
Come Thanksgiving, all your marketing channels are on overdrive. Try to bake a social component into every program.
Send standalone emails about your Facebook sweepstakes. Include "Like Us" call-to-actions in your online videos. Mix in mobile and social ads that point to your social couponing campaigns. And don't forget about brick-and-mortar. A flyer or well-placed sign can drive traffic to your social brand pages.
There are a million ways to do it. Just keep your eyes peeled for ways to insert social calls to action into other programs.
Be Surprising
You want to get people talking about your brand this season? Then do something cool.
Create digital content that's fun and easily shareable. Office Depot's classicElf Yourself site comes to mind. New, interactive ad formats make similar concepts possible across the web.
It doesn't need to be high-tech. Personalized e-cards, funny .gifs and engaging blog posts all rack up the social shares.
Make sure the creative for your TV, radio and digital ads does more than promote your sales. Funny and fresh ads spark conversations. Just don't forget to include those hashtags.
Activate Customers
Your existing customers are your best source of word-of-mouth. Take care to turn them into advocates.
This can be a tricky proposition during the holidays. Consumers are unlikely to gab about their gift purchases and risk the intended recipient catching wind. So you'll have to get creative.
Offer to donate a percentage of your online proceeds to charity, and prompt customers to tweet about it at the point of sale. Alternatively, donate a dollar for every Foursquare or Facebook check-in at your retail locations.
Offer free gifts with purchases over a certain dollar amount. People love to win Instagram cool swag.
Invest more resources in customer service this season. Plenty of people will be posting about rude salespeople and nightmarishly long lines. Strive to be the brand that surprises with awesome customer care.
Want even more tips on making a splash? Learn how brands stand out during the holidays with Offerpop.