Handling postal service disruptions at Christmas
For franchises that sell products online and ship them...
‘Tis the season for celebration and merriment, and for the most part people are on social media to do just that. They’re posting pictures of Christmas trees, exchanging online greeting cards and sharing in the joys of the season with friends and family near and far.
Understanding that is crucial for franchises that intend to use social media for marketing during the holidays.
There many businesses out there that treat the holidays as nothing more than a lead-up to Boxing Day (and week) sales. It’s all about the discounts, specials and coupons. Where’s the spirit in that?
It’s true that the consumer is interested in the sales, and there’s no disputing that. However, if you take the time to look online at how users are really engaging…very few are sharing sales promotions with friends during the holidays. They’re sharing family photos instead.
While you may very well have sales coming up in the next week, consider taking a different approach to your social media marketing. What if your marketing was about THEM (your audience, your customers and potential customers) instead of YOU?
I’m of the opinion that marketing should always be about the audience. There’s no time when that’s more true, however, than during the holidays. If your audience is spending time on social media to celebrate the season, consider how you might add to that celebration. Think about the products and/or services your franchise provides. How can you showcase what you do in a fun, holiday-spirited kind of way that will entertain and inspire your audience?
Holiday recipes, holiday fashion tips, holiday learning ideas, holiday weight loss tips, holiday songs, holiday videos, a new version of the 12 days of Christmas perhaps, photos, jokes, quotes, …the list goes on.
There’s a never-ending supply of creative content you could come up with that would connect with your audience in a more personal way and set you apart as a franchise that wants to celebrate the season with people … rather than take advantage of the time to sell, sell, sell.
At every time of year, social media is about building relationships with people. It’s about thinking of ways that you can support your audience and be there for them. It’s about THEM, not YOU.
If you can approach your holiday social media marketing from that place – from a sincere place of wanting to bring joy to the lives of others – then your marketing will be truly meaningful and have an impact.
Come the New Year, you may find that your audience sees you in a new light. They have more trust in you and more respect for you…because you helped make their holidays more special.
Happy Holidays and Merry Marketing.
