For years, I’ve been working as a social media manager for the Dartmouth Makers’ Winter Market. It’s one of my favourite events of the entire year, actually! I love seeing all the small businesses gather, and the crowds are always full of people looking to support local.
One year I remember talking to a vendor who had shared a few photos of her setup before the event. She thought the post didn't do well because it only got a few likes. And no one new followed her. But she also told me that a few people came right up to her saying they’d seen her posts online!
So, the post didn’t flop, afterall. It reached the RIGHT person, and that person arrived at the market ready to shop.
I think about that story every time a business owner tells me, “I don’t think my social media is working.”
When you tell yourself that, what are you looking at to decide that it’s not working?
Most of the time, the answer is about getting too few 'likes’ on their posts. And when it comes to posting around the holidays, that isn’t where your focus should be anyway.
Holiday Marketing Is Different
November and December are the busiest months of the year on social media. Every business posts gift ideas, sales, markets, and holiday hours at the same time, and your customers start scrolling past more and more posts.
When it gets that crowded, the businesses that stand out are the ones their own community can find, recognize and buy from without any guesswork.
A post with 15 likes that brings 1 person through your door has done its job!
And you don’t need a big overhaul of your whole social media platform to reach the right people.
Here are five things I’d check on your accounts before the holiday rush starts to make sure your posts are working for your business.
1. Make Sure You’re Reaching Your Local Community
Open your Facebook and Instagram insights and look at where your followers live. If you sell in Nova Scotia but most of your audience is in another country, those numbers might look nice, but those people won’t walk into your shop and buy something.
To reach more of your own community, mention your town or neighbourhood in your posts.
Tag the other local businesses you work with, and share what’s happening around you.
People love supporting businesses they feel connected to, especially at Christmas. So make sure you’re showing up to your local community.
2. Look at Which Posts Got People Talking
Scroll back through the last month or two of your posts. Which ones got comments, shares or messages? Which ones did people save?
There’s no point spending ages creating a new set of graphics if the posts that get the most attention are behind-the-scenes candid shots.
Once you know what your audience responds to, give it a holiday twist.
If your behind-the-scenes videos do well, film yourself wrapping orders or setting up your holiday display.
For holiday marketing, invest your time in what already works. It’s not the time to reinvent yourself.
3. Look at Your Profile Like a Brand-New Customer
Pretend you’ve never heard of your business and pull up your Facebook page, Instagram profile and LinkedIn account. Can you tell what your business sells, where it is and how to reach someone, from the standpoint of someone who’s come across it for the first time?
You’d be surprised how often I find old hours, broken links and bios that don’t explain what the business does when I’m working through Social Media Audits for my clients.
At Christmas, that’s a big problem.
Someone looking for a last-minute gift won’t dig around for your phone number; they’ll move on to the next shop.
Update your holiday hours, test every link and make sure your bio says what you offer in plain words. And, if you have time, consider updating your photo and header image to be holiday-themed. (Completely optional!)
4. Tell People Exactly What To Do When They Land on Your Page
Before you post, decide what you want people to DO.
Should they visit your website, book an appointment, buy a gift certificate or come to an event?
If you’re promoting a holiday market, the goal isn’t 200 likes on the event announcement. The goal is to get people through the doors!
So, if the goal is to get people through the door, say it in your post! Make things easy for your audience.
We often assume people know they can order online or send us a message, but they don’t always know unless we tell them. Make sure people know what you offer and how to buy it.
5. Plan Your Holiday Posts Now
I’m not saying you need to post right now, especially here in Nova Scotia where it’s a bit taboo for small businesses to talk about the holidays before Remembrance Day.
But you can definitely set aside some time to plan!
Grab a notebook and write down everything happening in your business between now and the end of December. Think about holiday products, events, order deadlines, special hours and the thank-you message you’d like to share with your community at year-end.
Once it’s on paper, you can start talking about those things now instead of scrambling at the last minute.
You don’t need to post every day, either. Two or three thoughtful posts a week that speak to the right people will do more than posting daily just to check a box.
If you like planning on paper, The Social Media Content Planner (available on Amazon) has space for all of this and more.
Let’s make sure your social media is working for you
Think back to that vendor at the Dartmouth Makers Winter Market. If she had judged her post by its likes, she would have missed the customer who drove over from Halifax to find her.
These five checks are a big part of what I look at in a social media audit. If you’d like a second set of eyes on your accounts before the holidays, send me a message at kerra@kasocialmedia.ca or find out more here, and we’ll make sure the right people can find you this season.