October 21, 2017

Social Media Planning for the Holidays

It's almost the most wonderful time of year! For artists and makers, that usually means the busiest time as well, but holiday demand can yield the great return as long as you play your cards right! I'm so excited to see what everyone has to offer for handmade gifts this year! I also want to be sure you are armed with the tools you need to promote your business and bring in the sales you deserve. In my opinion, Social Media is one of the best ways to make the most of your holiday season! I'll highlight a few key tips below, but for all of you Austin artists that would like to meet and discuss this in person, please join me for one of two workshops I'll be hosting in November! Expert advice and cheesy holiday puns to help you plan an effective online strategy for end of year!
We've talked about Social Media best practices in previous posts, so here we're going to focus on how you apply these tactics for the end of year. Use this list of questions to evaluate your approach toFacebook, Instagram, Twitter and more to be sure you're ready for all of the opportunities in this major gift giving season. Even if you're just getting started with Social Media, you can get attention!

1. Holiday Season Goals - What do you want to achieve? Can you focus your content on this messaging without overdoing the promotion?
  • Increase Online Sales of Gifts
  • Drive Traffic to Offline Events
  • Personalize Your Brand

2. Audience - Should you focus on the gift giver or the recipient? You can influence demand to get your items on wish lists or you can convince givers that your work makes the perfect gift.

3. Channel - Where is your audience active? Which formats make the most sense for sharing your work and any incentives to buy? The total number of channels you choose should be based on bandwidth.

4. Scheduling - Which of your posts can be scheduled in advance to save you time as the season gets busier? You want to check in every now and then for comments and messages, but it's often more efficient to plan and schedule your posts in advance.

5. Key Dates - Do you know the last day people can order to get your work in time? There's processing, making the work, shipping. Be sure you are clear about this date up front, and plan to remind your fans several times. Lucky for you, this date can be an incentive to buy sooner.

6. Promotions - Do you plan to offer specials for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday or the holidays in general? Make sure your discount is enticing, but still profitable for you as the maker. This is not the time of year to stimulate demand that costs you money. There are many different options for incentivizing customers:
  • Buy One Get One
  • Volume Discounts
  • Bundling Offers
  • Free Shipping
  • Gift Wrapping

7. Flexibility - Are you prepared to adjust your strategy based on demand? Slow down posting if you are getting more sales than you can fulfill, and consider investing in Social advertising if you need to drive more traffic.

8. Personalize - How can you show your human side through holiday themed content? It's up to you how much of your personal life that you share, but people buy from makers they can connect with. Keep it professional, but consider giving a sneak peak into what your holidays look like as the artist behind your work. Also, don't be afraid to take a break when it comes time for you to celebrate with your loved ones. Social Media is a great way to let people know.


I hope these tips guide you in your holiday planning. Social Media is especially key this time of year as people start discussing what they want and shopping for where to get it. You want to be part of that conversation. If you'd like a deeper dive into these topics, please join me at one of my upcoming talks!

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , ,