We get it. The holidays are a busy time of year. Between the increased holiday demand, the end of the year crunch, and employees taking time off, your schedule is stretched as tight as the Little Drummer’s drum. The last thing on your mind is updating all of your social media accounts. But remember one thing, a current social media presence can help keep you top-of-mind, which is important during the season of holiday sales!
Social Networks Guide Purchase Decisions
And yet, now is the BEST time to keep posting. Why? Because social networks influence 74% of consumers’ buying decisions[1]. Sproutsocial.com reports, “On Twitter, 53% of consumers recommend companies or products in their tweets. Of those, 48% follow through with the intent to buy that product or service.”
MediaBistro agrees. “. Websites like Twitter actually boast a higher conversion rate than standard internet users with 75% of Twitter users making at least one or more purchases per month, as contrasted to just 67% of internet users overall[2].
This means that the more you update your content, engage your customers, and let them know that buying from you is a good idea, the more holiday sales you’ll make.
Three Ways to Boost Sales Through Social Media
So, how can you leverage the power of social media for a boost in holiday sales? Here are three ways.
- Find out which sites your customers actually use. Depending on your target market, you might want to spend the bulk of your effort on the sites that millennials use, such as Instagram. Alternatively, if your customers are largely professionals, they might prefer LinkedIn updates. The best way to find out which social media sites your customers use? Ask them!
- Don’t just use social media to sell stuff. Let your customers feel like they have a relationship with your brand. Post pictures of your staff in holiday costumes. Create holiday themed contests that involve your followers. Get everyone in the holiday spirit!
- Schedule your sharing. Both Facebook and Twitter let you schedule content in advance. This means that you can set up a constant stream of social media content that posts while you’re off drinking eggnog. Filling your channels with photos, videos, Tweets, posts, blogs, and other relevant content helps keep your business fresh and engaging.
Do you have any tips for how your business uses social media during the holidays? Share them with us!
[1] http://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-networks-influence-buying-decisions/
[2] https://www.readycloud.com/info/infographic-mind-boggling-social-shopping-statistics-spotlight-real-impact