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Creating a Holiday Content Plan: Tips & Best Practices

This is not a rehearsal: It is officially the most wonderful time of year - to start creating your holiday plan for social media, that is! 

While we often wait until after Halloween to focus on our social media campaigns for the holidays, data has consistenly shown that people are starting their holiday shopping earlier year after year. According to a study by Pinterest in 2019, 50% of its shoppers had already finished their holiday shopping by Thanksgiving.

Plus, more and more customers are skipping the chaos and crazy lines for a more easeful online shopping experience - meaning shoppers are actively scrolling on social media as early as October as they make their shopping lists (and check it twice). 

Ready to make the holidays the most wonderful time of the year for your business? Follow these steps to create a holiday content plan that will make the holidays your most successful season of business yet.

STEP 1: Determine Your Holiday Goals

There are so many social media holidays and designated shopping sale days during this time of year, from Black Friday and Small Business Saturday to Cyber Monday and even Giving Tuesday (for nonprofits). Identify which holidays you want to focus on that make sense for your busienss and take note of these dates so you can create your holiday plan accordingly. 

PLANOLY PRO TIP: Use PLANOLY's social media holiday calendar to easily discover dates, holiday details and recommended hashtags for both major and social media holidays. 

STEP 2: Conduct Market Research on Trending Holiday Topics 

Don't let your brand get lost in all the noise on social media during the pre-holidays. Take a deep dive on Pinterest and TikTok to identify the most popular searches related to holidays and gifting so you can optimize your content with the proper keywords and hashtags for your industry or niche. Also take note of any trending topics or formats for content inspiration. 

STEP 3: Optimize Your Profile for Optimal Sales

Social media is the new window shopping for customers, so your profile needs to make it easy for prospective customers to go from window shopping to making a purchase. 

The best way to quickly convert window shoppers into paying customers is the product tagging feature. Product tagging enables you to turn your Instagram profile into a virtual shop by enabling your customers to purchase your products directly in the app. Customers are much more likely to make a purchase if they don't have to leave the platform, so this feature is a must to use during the holiday season. 

PLANOLY PRO TIP: You can add product tags to your scheduled posts right in the PLANOLY app! To enable this feature in PLANOLY, you must have an Instagram Business account linked to a Facebook Business page. 

While the product tagging feature is a no-brainer for customers who are primed and ready to buy, shoppers who are not familiar with your brand may want research your company before making a purchase. Optimize your profile with a clear call-to-action and a link that directs them to essential information about your business. 

PLANOLY's Linkit tool simplifies your followers’ browsing and shopping experience by enabling you to link the posts featured on your Instagram feedback to any URL. Use this feature to showcase a gallery of your products that links to your product pages on your site which should include more details about your products as well as testimonials. 

STEP 4: Create Scroll-stopping Holiday Content to Promote Deals Early

Now for the fun part: your content! While sales-focused content is a must during this time of year, it's important to have a well rounded content strategy that also nurtures, engages and educates your audience. Not only is this a great way to keep your brand top of mind, but it's also great for nurturing long time relaionships with your audience to turn them into true brand fans.

Here are some ideas to consider for your holiday content plan: 

#1 Create relatable, funny and heartfelt content that connects your products to themes related to this time of year. 

#2 Use memes from classic holiday movies to create shareable and engaging content that will spark conversation in your comments, or think about some of the common emotions associated to this time of year and your product. 

#3 Create educational content that provides helpful tips related to your product or industry 

#4 Create tons of video tutorials that showcase the details of your products and how to use them with a fun holiday twist. Be sure to share plenty of carousels featuring closeups of your products, as well as social proof and user reviews. You can also engage with your audience by hosting holiday themed lives on your profile such as holiday product hauls or gift wrapping tutorials.

#5 Create engaging campaign-focused content that makes the sale 

#6 Share holiday gift guides for each member of the family featuring your products. Also be sure to tap into holiday-themed audios and other trends for peek visibility. 

The holiday season is the best time for small businesses to stand out on social media! Don't wait - start planning your holiday plan now, and be sure to schedule your content ahead of time so that you can enjoy the holidays with your friends and family too.

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Gabriella Layne-Avery

Gabriella Layne-Avery is a Content Strategist, Creative Director, and the founder of the content marketing agency Strut Communications. Known for coining the term ‘sustainable social media,’ she believes it’s 100% possible for small business owners to leverage social media to cultivate engaged, loyal communities for their brands without spending 24/7 doing so.

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