Social Media Advertising Tips for the Holiday Season

Advertising for the holiday season always starts sooner than you expect. For eCommerce and brick-and-mortar businesses, Black Friday and Cyber Monday advertising should begin in some capacity during early November. Then, once December hits, it’s time for Christmas and New Year advertising. This can be overwhelming, and many business owners don’t know where to start. Use the holiday season social media advertising tips below to get your marketing strategy organized.

Review Past Trends

Always begin by reviewing the trending and viral campaigns from the previous year. You should also look at your sales and website analytics for the holiday period. This will give you insight into when customers are on your site looking to make a purchase. Use this data to choose your sale dates, set promotional purchases, and plan social media posts. ‘

Brainstorm Fresh Campaigns

While using the same content format as last year is an option, social media trends have changed. Make sure that you are utilizing trending challenges, styles, and verbiage to attract the attention of your audience. 

Choose Your Discount Structure

Consider what discounts you wish to offer, and how to offer them. In general, buyers are less likely to be enticed by tiered sales offers, such as “spend $50 to get 10% off” and spend “$100 to get 15% off”. However, brands that offer 50% off or more on just a few products, see higher overall sales, with consumers also purchasing items not on sale or items with lower discounts. Offering free shipping for all orders, rather than a minimum amount is also shown to increase the average spend per consumer. Make sure to clearly advertise any doorbuster deals or products that will be heavily discounted while mentioning any exclusions. 

Clearly Advertise Shipping Cutoff Dates

With many people shopping for holiday gifts, and shipping taking longer due to increased volume, advertising your shipping cutoff dates for Christmas is crucial. Make sure to include a buffer in the shipping time, and send customers a tracking number when the product ships. Consider including a free gift in purchases made before a certain date to encourage early purchasing. This can also encourage consumers to purchase outside of sale times. 

Use Different Platforms to Optimize Marketing

Users on different platforms have different purchasing styles. Users on Pinterest and X tend to plan out purchases and research thoroughly to find the best deal, whereas TikTok users are more likely to be impulsive and purchase immediately. Instagram and Facebook are somewhere in between, with large sales usually creating impulse purchases. It is also worth working with influencers in your niche to bring more attention to your brand and products in the lead-up to the holidays. 

Set up Social Media Shopping 

Utilizing Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok Shop can increase your traffic and sales throughout the holiday season. These shopping features allow social media users to shop directly from your post, video, or story, which helps to increase impulse purchasing. Using this in conjunction with trending sounds or challenges also improves brand visibility and recognition. 

Set Up Your Marketing Calendar

You want to make sure you are building anticipation for your sales while encouraging purchases outside of the sale dates. This means advertising for Black Friday and Cyber Monday throughout November while offering promotions like free gifts or free shipping in the lead-up. This is especially effective for items you will not be putting on sale. Often, consumers will opt to purchase earlier to avoid shipping delays, especially if the items they want are excluded from the big sale. Aim to post daily on all platforms using a variety of content to ensure your brand is reaching as many consumers as possible during November and December.

Social media advertising is a crucial component of boosting sales during the holiday season. Use the tips above to create your marketing plan and get ahead of your competitors this year.