The festive season is upon us! And during this prime time for socialising, you mustn’t let your social media slip. On the contrary, you should be capitalising on the marketing opportunities that the Christmas period has to offer! And if you’re already snowed under with your spending this month (aren’t we all!), don’t worry – we’ve put together 10 tips for implementing an entirely organic social media strategy this Christmas. So, let’s rev up the sleigh engine and get started!

1) Make a Schedule, Check It Twice

In lieu of Santa’s list, you must make a thorough social media content schedule, ensuring you don’t miss any key dates. If you use a scheduling platform such as Content Cal, you’ll be able to schedule posts weeks in advance. This means that, even if your team is taking well-deserved time off to celebrate the festivities with their family, your posts will still go out at the appropriate times, wishing your followers a “Merry Christmas, One and All”.

2) Gift-Wrap your Logo

The festive season is the ideal time for some temporary rebranding. Refresh your logo and website banners with a little Christmassy touch: perhaps a sprig of holly or some falling snow! Alternatively, you could jazz up your colour palette with homage to the holiday: think green and red or silver and gold. This is a great, accessible way of visually engaging your audience in an instant!

3) Seasonal Social Content

This may sound obvious, but we must stress the importance of producing your own Christmas-themed content leading up to and during the festive period. You can create a range of engaging content – all of which should be relevant to your industry. For example, if your business has links to the food or lifestyle industries, you could include some easy-to-make Christmas recipes on your socials, whereas retail-oriented businesses could share a helpful gift guide for their followers. You need to think about the demographic you’re targeting, what content they will want to see, which will also be useful to them.

4) Storytime

Your Instagram stories are certainly not on the naughty list – so make sure you don’t neglect them! Stories provide the perfect opportunity to create interactive content, so engage with your followers during the Most Wonderful Time of the Year through seasonal polls, questions and quizzes.

5) Christmas Collabs

Influencer collaborations are one of the most effective ways to boost engagement on your socials and drive sales. The festive period is no exception: popular influencers – who are relevant to your industry – can work wonders for your Christmas campaign. If you’re looking to save pennies, organic influencer marketing involves influencers who essentially become advocates for your brand; they don’t charge a fee, yet will typically request a free sample of your product in exchange for advertisement on their platform. Think of it as a mutual Christmas gift!

6) It’s The Final Countdown

It’s always companionable to count down to the big day, and this is something that many brands like to share with their followers. A Christmas countdown can act as a handy social media stocking filler – whilst also fostering a sense of community amongst your customers. You can share this daily countdown on your feed and stories, and even present this akin to an advent calendar, with a different gift behind each door. For example, if you’re looking to position your business as a thought leader in your industry, you could share an expert tip per countdown day.

7) We Three (Content) Kings

If content is King, then user generated content is certainly one of the three Kings! Christmas provides the ultimate time to get your followers involved. For example, you could encourage users to take festive photos with your products! User generated content is a great way to increase engagement and conversions; at Christmas, which is all about making merry with your loved ones, there is no better time to instil the warm, fuzzy feeling of belonging to a community.

8) The Season for Giving

Christmas is the season for giving, so why not invest in the Christmas spirit by giving back? Your brand must be seen to be ethical and forward-thinking, which you can demonstrate by actively using your platform for the greater good. Whether you create emotive, thought-provoking content, promote your improved sustainable practices for 2023, or undertake a seasonal charity project, your business can bestow invaluable Christmas gifts to the communities around you. Here are some examples of ways that individuals are giving back to their community this Christmas. How will your business get involved?

9) Christmas Competitions

Speaking of the gift that keeps on giving… Christmas is a popular time for festive-themed giveaways. Statistics have shown that, in 2022, two-thirds of UK consumers are set to cut Christmas spending: a direct result of the cost of living crisis. Therefore, there is no better time to extend your generosity and offer festive freebies to your loyal followers: a gift from your business, to them. Set up social media competitions or product giveaways across the month – and we assure you, your customers will appreciate it this year more than ever.

10) Merry Christmas from Social Chameleon

Last but certainly not least, we advise you to have a well-earned, relaxing time off and enjoy the festivities with your friends and family! Taking the time to recharge and rejuvenate is imperative for you to tackle the new business year head-on, with bundles of energy. So, reap the benefits of those all-important scheduling apps, sit back, and take a sip of that mulled wine! Merry Christmas, from our team to yours.