According to a Google survey, 26% of users start shopping for Christmas in October. That’s why it’s very important to think about Christmas marketing strategies in advance.
One of the main marketing strategies for Christmas this year is the use of the social network Instagram . Instagram has proven to be one of the most popular social networks in the online world and in recent years, it has reached more than 500 million active users, surpassing Twitter, Snapchat and Pinterest.
Instagram is a social network for images and videos , and it is very easy to use. But the big challenge is to make your brand successful on this social network. Christmas is a time to share emotions and feelings, and Instagram is one of the best social networks for that.
However, to use Instagram effectively during the Christmas period , it is necessary, in addition to a lot of creativity, to know some strategies to make the most of the potential of this social network . Below we present eight strategies.
List of Instagram strategies for Christmas
1.
To be successful with any digital marketing strategy , you need organization and planning . And the editorial calendar is a great organization and planning strategy. Through it, you guarantee good distribution of content throughout the year and, especially, on special dates, such as Christmas.
Every editorial calendar should include a variety of content formats . In the case of Instagram, which is a social network for images and videos, the editorial calendar should consider a variety of image and video formats: photos, infographics create an editorial calendar, longer videos, shorter videos, but always creative.
This variation is important because (1) it allows the content to reach all audiences, from the audience that likes one type of photo more, to the one that prefers an explanatory video more. And secondly, variation is important because it does not tire the reader of seeing your Instagram posts and generates engagement. An Instagram account that offers only one type of content becomes of little interest to the user .
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2. Customize your profile
Personalize your profile picture morocco mobile database and bio with Christmas themes . This will convey the spirit of the season to the user and let the user know that your business has also been infected by the Christmas spirit. To do this, use traditional Christmas colors and shapes and be creative with them.
3. Use hashtags
The hashtag, represented by the # symbol, is used in conjunction with a word to describe a post. Using a hashtag allows you to organize your content into categories within the network , as well as making it easier for users to find your business . For example, if you use the hashtag #Christmas2017 in your posts, the user who searches for this hashtag on Instagram will surely find your post.
It is important to always use hashtags that are related to your image . An essential suggestion is to make a list of hashtags according to your business sector and observe what types of content they post with them. Moderate use of hashtags in each post is recommended create an editorial calendar.
4. Create contests
Contests are a great way to generate more engagement with your followers . Ask them to upload photos to Instagram or the social network they use the most (and try to connect Instagram to other social networks) and tag you . The photo that gets the most reach will win a prize.
During the Christmas period, you can choose a Christmas theme for the photo and launch the contest.
Care must be taken when planning a contest : (1) select a reliable contest management tool to avoid potential fraud; (2) choose a prize that will be of interest to the audience; (3) be clear about the rules and conditions of the contest; (4) comply with Instagram’s rules for running contests.
5. Run exclusive giveaways
Giveaways are a great strategy to gain visibility and new followers . Giveaways basically consist of asking the user to share the content you published and, in exchange, they will be competing for a product or service from your brand.
Facebook and Twitter are the easiest ways to run giveaways, but Instagram is not as easy. On Instagram, you cannot share someone else’s post. However, you can request that the user share the content of your Instagram post via Facebook, using a hashtag. Another alternative is to ask the user to share your post via a specific app called Regrann.
6. Take advantage of Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories was one of the latest 8 best stock video sites for your upcoming campaigns updates to the Instagram app. Through Instagram Stories you can record short videos or take photos and share them . The big difference is that after 24 hours available to your followers this content automatically expires create an editorial calendar . That is, all content posted on Instagram Stories will disappear in 24 hours and will no longer be accessible.
Instagram Stories opens up a lot of possibilities to promote your business in a creative and dynamic way . You can create coupons with an expiration date, flash sales, as well as adopt a more casual tone in your posts.
7. Create a Countdown
This is a great strategy to motivate your followers, which involves creating a countdown with challenges before Christmas Day (or any special date). Through the challenge, you can encourage people to leave tips on how to accomplish such challenges.
Instagram Stories is a great ally of this strategy.
8. Buy ads on social media.
The last Christmas marketing strategy using Instagram that we suggest is to buy ads on social media. However, we recommend that you use this strategy when Christmas is closer and after monitoring and analyzing the results that other strategies provided.
Buying ads gives your content a boost by creating promoted ads that reach users faster . If you stick to this strategy and have a fixed ar numbers establishment, create redeemable coupons to convert your followers into potential customers.
To learn more about Instagram and the digital marketing strategies offered by this social network, download our Ebook.