Ho, ho, ho! It’s that festive time of year. Mariah Carey is on repeat at the store. Sleigh bells and string lights are all around. We’re all making those end-of-year lists and checking them twice. The holidays are here…but are they in your social feeds?
If you’ve got the tree and lights up but haven’t had time to deck out your social accounts for the season, we’ve got your back. Our gift to you this holiday season is a quick and dirty how-to for ensuring your social accounts shine brightly enough to win your town’s holiday spirit contest.
Here’s how:
1. Santa-fy your profile and cover pictures
Give your avatars and cover pictures a festive take. Pop on a Santa hat, take a selfie, and you’re all set! You can also update your cover photo with shots of your newly decorated office or to showcase a seasonal offer. Not the photoshoot type? Head over to Canva and add some simple holiday or winter-themed graphics. Search for “holiday” templates and you’ll have a bunch to choose from. — just be sure to customize them to your brand! No one likes cookie cutter graphics…
2. Spread some holiday cheer with your posts
The holidays are a great opportunity to provide a window into the life of the person or people behind your business, and they come with tons of opportunities to invite engagement. Share images or videos of your holiday decorations, favorite recipes or even your most beloved holiday traditions. (And don’t forget to add a holiday soundtrack or snow filter to those Reels!) Encourage fans to get in on the fun and tag you in their own holiday-themed posts – you can repost their content or offer a prize as an incentive.
You can also ask for engagement within your Instagram Stories by using the poll sticker or do a This or That style post for your feeds.
Some quick examples you could ask your audience:
White Lights vs. Colored Lights
Star tree topper vs. Angel tree topper
Egg Nog vs. Peppermint Mocha
Gingerbread Cookies vs. Sugar Cookies
Santa’s Nice List vs. Santa’s Naughty List
It’s a Wonderful Life vs. A Christmas Story
Have some fun and use this type of engagement to share a bit about YOU too!
3. Give the gift of a holiday gift pack
‘Tis the giving season, so think about bundling up some of your products or services into a special holiday gift pack or offering a discount as a special gift to your fans. A special holiday lead-gen freebie can be a great way to give the people something of value while also growing your mailing list and database. If you offer physical products, create simple holiday gift guide posts that pair your product with similarly themed items for a killer gift. Again: templates are your friend! (And don’t forget those Instagram “link stickers” to send people directly to your sales page from your Instagram Stories!)
4. Keep it real…and simple.
Bigger doesn’t always mean better (see: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation), but real is always a winner. You don’t need to spend a ton of time and effort prepping your social accounts for the holidays. Small things like adding a snowfall filter on Instagram or a couple of Christmas tree emoji in your captions or newsletter headlines can do a ton. No time to decorate your home or office? Add a holiday-themed background to your Zoom calls. And instead of doing everything from scratch, lean on resources like Canva for ready-made templates. Like Santa’s elves, they’ll do the heavy lifting for you.
Feeling festive? So am I! Follow me on the socials to catch Oh Snap! Social’s favorite holiday recipes and traditions, or sign up here for a special holiday gift…just for you!