Planning Social Media Content for the Holidays

The holidays are right around the corner, so it’s time to get cracking on your holiday social media campaigns. This year is a little different as the market has shifted to mostly virtual and digital platforms. Every holiday presents an opportunity to promote your brand and stand out from the rest with your creative graphics. More people are now indoors, making it the perfect time to grab their attention. Here are some tips for planning your holiday social media content calendars:

Crunch the numbers

Do research on the stats from previous holiday seasons. Try to focus on one or two of the biggest holidays, so your content is more focused and targeted. Online shopping is more popular during this season because people want to avoid the crazy shopping crowds – this year, those numbers are predicted to exponentially increase due to social distancing restrictions. This is also the time of year where “bargain” is the favorite word by popular vote. What does this mean for your content? Ask yourself, which of your holiday posts got the most engagement? Which didn’t get the anticipated feedback you had hoped for? Is your audience more interested in gift guides or discounts? Ask your audience for further clarification on what they want to see this season. Once you have the numbers, you can proceed with your content planning.

Create your material

Now that you have the stats at hand, you can determine what marketing materials you need to execute your content strategy. Keyword research is important at this stage for the most search engine optimization. Which holidays are you focusing on? How can your ideas be edited to suit each platform? Will you have one main message for each holiday, or multiple messages? Consider the format and platforms you use to promote your content. Infographics and short videos are a fun, trendy way to present your content to your audience. Social media advertising, email newsletters, and influencer marketing are the best ways to direct traffic to your brand and expand your visibility. Adding seasonal imagery makes your content more engaging and helps your audience to get in the spirit. Have fun with your content this season, and don’t forget to map out the best times to post on each platform!

Execute your strategy

It’s wise to prepare for a lot of traffic this season. If you’re a small team of one, aim to plan out your content at least a month in advance. Make use of any design platforms for your creative graphics and imagery. Edit your copy and use scheduling apps to plan your posts ahead of time. If you have a bigger budget, it’s best to have all hands on deck. Who will design your social media ads and web pages? Who is writing your copy? Who is in charge of packaging the giveaway items, and who will be your customer service representative? The earlier everyone is on board, the smoother the campaign launch will be. Don’t stop looking at the stats after you launch – this is so you can tweak any content for better reception, and make quick edits as needed. Having this information at hand makes it easier for you and your team to execute future campaigns. 

There are numerous content calendar templates available online – choose one best suited for your brand and fine tune the details for your campaigns. With proper planning and execution, your social media content this holiday season is bound to be successful.