Can you believe another holiday season is already here? I mean, it's not even Halloween yet and we're already seeing Christmas lights up, decorations in the stores, and more importantly for businesses, the conversations about holiday campaigns are (or should be!) in full swing.

Did I just set you into a panic mode? If you haven't started thinking about holiday marketing yet, it's ok. You're cutting it close, I'm not gonna lie 😉 But, there is still time to get your social media strategy ready for the holidays!

Here are some of my tips on what to include in your holiday social media strategy for maximum results this year.

Contests

Yes, you should run a contest (or more than one). Use this time when people are spending money to reward them with something for free. Whether for themselves or to use as a gift, everyone can use a free bonus right now.

Come up with great prizes related to your business (a product or service you offer) which you can give away. Then, figure out what type of contest you want to run to generate buzz in your business while building your list or growing your followers. See, it's like a present for you too!

Contests can get creative around the holiday themes too. Think about having people enter via a hashtag on a photo related to a holiday theme.

Keep in mind that you want to be aware of contest rules for whatever social media platform you use.

Promotions or Discounts

Are you looking to boost sales over the holidays? If you're running and discounts, promotions, or sales make sure to emphasize these on social media.

You can run a variety of posts to highlight your promotions and even consider running some sales exclusive to one social media platform. You can promote the sale on your other platforms but the only place you'll show the discount or sale details is on the one site. This will help you grow traffic and followers on this other site while driving up your holiday sales.

Memes

Ugh, I can't believe I just wrote that. But, yes, in moderation at the holidays, the right funny memes and themed content can perform really well and boost engagement while showing your humorous side.

Tips and "Survival Guides"

It's a crazy time of year. Everyone is gonna go crazy at some point. Rather than adding to the chaos, find ways to support your audience and help them.

Share posts with tips and ideas to "survive" the holidays. These could be other content you find from other sources and share to your pages. Or you can create your own content if it supports your brand message and strategy.

Think about things like: how to find the best deals online; best holiday crafts for kids; how to navigate the malls like a pro this holiday season. You get the point. Try to keep the tips related to your business model and niche if possible. But don't worry about going outside the lines at this time of year. Your audience will appreciate the help and ideas!

Ask Interactive Questions

Use this time to build your relationships and connect with your audience. Ask interactive questions that invite them to participate. Everyone loves the holidays so use this theme to generate more engagement.

Ask questions like what is their favorite holiday memory with their kids. Or the best gift they ever received. Or their favorite holiday song. Or their go-to holiday meal.

Get creative but invite the participation of your audience. You'll see your engagement rates increase (bonus for you!) and you'll get a chance to learn more about your fans.

Invite Photo Sharing

Taking the interaction one step further than asking questions, invite your audience to share photos.

Do they dress their pets up for the holidays? Share a photo on your post! Do they decorate for the holidays? Share a photo of their favorite room in the house.

This is also more interactive when you share a photo of your own first, and then invite your fans to share their photos on your post or via a tweet.

Encourage User Generated Content

If you're encouraging people to share photos, why not ask them to share a photo of them using your product or service while they're at it? If you provide a service or product that can be used in this context, take this holiday time to encourage that sharing of content which you can source for your own benefits.

Reward participants by resharing or featuring their content on your pages or posts.

Support a Charity

If there is a charity dear to your heart, run a campaign to support that charity.

It could be collecting items at your business or contributing a portion of proceeds to a charity. Let your customers know you are doing this and why you're supporting this charity. They'll be more likely to contribute and work with/buy from you if they know you are contributing to your community of charitable organizations.

Post Greetings and Gratitude

Take this time to thank your audience too! You can create graphics, photos, text posts, or videos that share a message of gratitude or well wishes during the holidays. Your audience will appreciate the sentiment and enjoy the personal connection.

There are plenty of fun and engaging ways that you can use social media over the holidays. Use this time to build your list, drive sales, and connect more personally with your audience!

Do you have any tried and true holiday marketing ideas? Share them in the comments below!