E-book: "9 Fresh Social Media Marketing Approaches to Try This Holiday Season"
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If you think you’re tired of the same old re-gifted holiday promos, just imagine how your customers must feel. Black Friday and free shipping deals will only take you so far. That’s why a new e-book from MDG Advertising deserves a spot on every marketer’s reading list. 9 Fresh Social Media Approaches to Try This Holiday Season sums up the latest, must-try tactics, taking your marketing from bah-humbug to just what your audience always wanted. You’ll discover nine, simple-to-follow, approaches that will wake those tired old holiday promotions from their long winter’s nap. Been thinking of trying Periscope, the live broadcast app recently purchased by Twitter? (If you haven’t, you should. Periscope has already earned almost 10 million users). In 9 Fresh Social Media Approaches to Try This Holiday Season, you’ll learn a simple, but highly effective technique to totally engage your audience. Or, how about Smule’s Sing! Karaoke app? We all know the holidays just wouldn’t be the same without our favorite holiday music. The e-book shows you how to use this karaoke-inspired app to set just the right note, getting prospective buyers into the holiday gift-giving spirit. And speaking of giving, why not set a precedent of your own by starting an easy-to-manage charitable movement? 9 Fresh Social Media Approaches to Try This Holiday Season explains how tools like Twibbon can help you get the audience involved, leaving you to bask in your own benevolence. Of course, no holiday season would be complete without a few tried-and-true sales promotions. But what if you could actually get your audience counting the days until your next big event? 9 Fresh Social Media Approaches to Try This Holiday Season will show you how a little creativity can net your next promotion outstanding results. And tired of the usual contests and giveaways? This invaluable e-book shows you how to give them a fresh new take. You’ll get tips on how to build buzz with consumers and spark new interest in this old standby. Not all the tactics described in the e-book revolve around totally new approaches. Some are simply new ways to boost the impact of the ones you’re already using. For example, it’s no secret that Facebook is a great way to connect with your audience over social media. But what if you were given a way to drop the cost per conversion by as much as 30% to 50%? And what if it were surprisingly easy to do? Needless to say, this free e-book from MDG, will help you spread holiday cheer. “9 Fresh Social Media Approaches to Try This Holiday Season” is a gift for marketers who don’t want to worry about your audience re-gifting your promotions next year. We hope you’ll also take this opportunity to request a personalized analysis of your current social media marketing strategy. Just call 561.338.7797 to reserve a spot on our schedule. We’ll offer you our professional advice on how reach a bigger share of the growing digital market. mdgadvertising.com
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E-book: "9 Fresh Social Media Marketing Approaches to Try This Holiday Season"
- 1. mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! 9 Fresh Social Media Marketing Approaches to Try This Holiday Season
- 2. 2 mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! Are your holiday social tactics starting to resemble a re-gifted fruitcake—uninspired, unwanted, and slightly stale? Does your brand keep rehashing the same posts each winter season? If so, it’s time to stop being a marketing grinch and try something new. Over the past few years the social media landscape has changed remarkably, giving brands a host of novel ways to engage audiences effectively. While these developments span everything from revamped features to entirely new platforms, most have one important thing in common: intimacy. It’s becoming increasingly easier to engage consumers deeply using social, whether that’s via rich media, campaigns that allow for direct access to events and people, or enhanced ad units that encourage additional action. In this e-book, we’re highlighting specific, effective holiday social tactics that rely on these powerful new tools to entertain and connect. Each can apply to many verticals, and each can be adapted for many purposes. This isn’t a comprehensive catalog of every holiday social media option by any means. Rather, we’ve picked a few fresh ideas that’ll make you stand out among the flood of social posts from other companies. Ultimately, if executed well, the nine approaches below will help your brand get past consumers’ bah- humbugging and inspire true holiday cheer.
- 3. 3 mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! Section 1 Use Periscope to broadcast live holiday events Section 2 Set the holiday mood with Smule Karaoke Section 3 Start a charitable giving movement on Twibbon Section 4 Publish an online Advent calendar on Instagram Section 5 Publicize your social media customer service Section 6 Live tweet an in-person prize giveaway Section 7 Create hashtagged user-generated wishlists Section 8 Promote products via Facebook Carousel Ads Section 9 Produce holiday-themed social cinemagraphs 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Table of Contents
- 4. 4 mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! Use Periscope to broadcast live holiday events Periscope, the video streaming app purchased by Twitter, is one of the fastest-growing social networks, with more than 10 million users already. The platform allows anyone, anywhere, to become a live broadcaster with access to a huge audience. Forbrandslookingtoconnectwithconsumersdirectly thisholiday season, the app provides all sorts of interesting opportunities. You can stream new store decorations being hung, showcase seasonal items that are going on sale, and even live broadcast your holiday party (if you dare). One example of how it can be done is this stream from LivingMaxWell, which previewed Whole Foods Market’s Holiday Bazaar in New York. Since Periscope videos only stay hosted on the platform for 24 hours, you’ll see that this one has been recorded and posted to YouTube— a best practice we recommend that you follow as well. If you watch the LivingMaxWell video, you’ll notice something else: the interviewer incorporates questions and comments from the audience. The important thing to realize is that this isn’t a side feature; it’s a core part of the experience. As Keyvon Beykpour, Periscope’s co-founder, once put it, “We think we’re building a teleportation product.” What he meant by that is that the app is supposed to make users feel like they're actually there with the person broadcasting—that they’re able to see, hear, and engage. So, if you want to have a successful stream, make sure to treat it as an interactive experience, not a one-way broadcast. Section 1 “We think we’re building a teleportation product.“ Periscope has more than 10 million users
- 5. 5 mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! Set the holiday mood with Smule Karaoke ♫ On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… If you can complete the end of that lyric, there’s a good chance your customers can as well. Music is one of the essential elements of the holidays, and hearing beautiful (or terrible) renditions of classic songs is something many people look forward to all year. To show your audiences that you’re feeling the spirit of the season, consider using the Smule Sing! Karaoke app to record and publish your versions of well-known favorites. The platform allows you to easily sing and record songs, as well as collaborate with others from around the world. It’s already used by more than 18 million people, from talented unknowns to big stars. You can record and upload video karaoke sessions yourself, then share them on social media, or you can issue a challenge to your audience and ask people to upload their own versions (like this #SmilewithSmule contest). Either way, you’ll have an opportunity to increase engagement and brand affiliation. An important thing to keep in mind is that you should only focus on songs in the public domain in order to prevent any copyright issues. While that might mean skipping Mariah Carey, it still allows for plenty of opportunities, like Deck the Halls, for example. Here’s a short list of public-domain holiday songs to get you started. Section 2 Hearing beautiful (or terrible) renditions of classic holiday songs is something many people look forward to all year The Smule Sing! Karaoke app has more than 18 million users
- 6. 6 mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! Start a charitable giving movement on Twibbon One amazing thing about social media that is often overlooked is how it has transformed charitable giving. The qualities that make online social networks excellent community builders—such as ease of interaction and public incentives—also make them excellent tools for raising money for good causes. Given that, if you want to make the holidays about giving, not just getting, consider starting a charitable movement on a social platform. There are many ways to do this, from partnering directly with a specific charity online to developing your own giving-focused social content. One approach we really like, because of its simplicity and sophisticated tools, is Twibbon. The platform—which has already been used by more than 300,000 individuals, brands, and organizations to build charitable campaigns— allows you to quickly create a branded microsite for a specific cause. The most powerful part, though, is the social element; Twibbon lets users easily show their support for your movement by adding a designed logo to their social media profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter (you can see an example here). If you’re interested in creating a Twibbon campaign, check out these best practices, which cover everything from setup to design. Section 3 If you want to make the holidays about giving, not just getting, consider starting a charitable movement on a social platform
- 7. 7 mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! Publish an online Advent calendar on Instagram Historians believe the first Advent calendars—which count down the 24 days before Christmas—were created by German Protestants in the mid-19th century, and that they consisted of simple chalk marks on doors. Oh, how times have changed. Modern Advent calendars range from 3D cardboard houses to digital Santa-themed extravaganzas. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and types. However, the one medium where they aren’t commonplace is perhaps the one they’re most suited for: social media. Social media networks are the perfect place for publishing your brand’s own Advent calendar, since they provide an easy way to connect a large audience every single day. All of the major platforms can be used for this, of course, but Instagram may be the best suited given its clear visual stream and ability to reach beyond just fans. For your brand’s Instagram Advent calendar you can follow the traditional format and count down to a major holiday with daily posts featuring images/quotes/ graphics/products. Or, you can mix things up and focus on brand-relevant dates, such as how many shipping days are left, or when a special sale will begin. Section 4 The first Advent calendars, which were created in the mid-19th century, consisted of simple chalk marks on doors Social networks are the perfect place for publishing your brand’s Advent calendar
- 8. 8 mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! Publicize your social media customer service According to a one survey, 43% of consumers say online is their favorite customer service platform, and 60% share their customer service stories on social media. In other words, having a strong customer service presence on social media is essential for brands; it’s where many customers go to look for help, and it’s also where they go to share their experiences. However, many companies are failing to deliver on providing high-quality customer service via social media. One study found that only 22% of tweets directed at brands receive a response. Moreover, even when there is a response, it takes an average of six hours to arrive. If you want your company to stand out during the holiday season, you can do two things related to customer service on social media: First, start by providing excellent service online. Make sure you have enough staff monitoring the most-used networks and enable your representatives to respond to issues effectively. Second, publicize your services. Exceptional customer service via social media can be a powerful differentiator for your brand, especially during the holiday season, when consumers feel even more harried. Just as brick-and-mortar stores promote longer hours, let people know that your company is around to help around-the-clock online. Use the various social tools available—posts, paid ads, etc.—to do this, and make sure to continue though the period after the holidays when returns are still a major issue. Section 5 60% of consumers share customer service stories on social media Having a strong customer service presence on social media is essential for every brand
- 9. 9 mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! Live tweet a real-life prize giveaway A wonderful thing about social media for marketers is it allows new twists to be added to old tactics. For example, contests have been a long-time standby for building buzz with consumers. Now, thanks to the power of social media, you can spark interest around a giveaway immediately and much more widely. This holiday season, go beyond traditional contests and try experimenting with new formats. One idea: if your business has brick-and-mortar presences, live tweet that a holiday-themed mascot or celebrity will be at one of your locations, then give people a chance to be there/win prizes. Publix tried this approach a few years ago with an NFL Pro-Bowl promotion. Consumers were told via social media the location of a Miami Dolphins’ linebacker, then given the opportunity to track him down in a store with a secret password. The first 100 to get there won a trip to Hawaii and tickets to the game. It was a great way to use the scale of social media to drive traffic to a specific location. If you’re going to take this sort of approach, it’s essential to plan it out thoroughly ahead of time to avoid getting too much (or too little) engagement, and make sure you follow Twitter’s promotional guidelines. Also, think about ways to extend the experience past a single event; for example, different giveaways for each of the eight days of Hanukkah. Section 6 This holiday season, go beyond traditional contests and try experimenting with new formats
- 10. 10 mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! Create hashtagged user-generated wish lists Social media has changed countless of little things in people’s lives, including how they approach their holiday wish lists. In the past, coming up with which gifts you wanted for the holidays was a mostly solitary endeavor, done perhaps quietly with a pen and paper (remember those?). Not so anymore. Today, wish lists have gone fully social, with people soliciting ideas from others and publically posting what they want (which seems to be a lot of cash, gift cards, and Apple products). This socialization of holiday wish lists presents an incredible opportunity for brands. It allows you to join conversations around purchasing and encourage people to consider your products. A key thing to keep in mind is that consumers tend to use different social networks in different ways, so make sure to tailor your wish-list efforts to each. For example, Pinterest and Instagram are hubs for seeking inspiration, so use them to promote your products with lush visuals. Twitter, on the other hand, can be a good place for collaboration, so think about asking your audience to focus their wish-list requests around a single hashtag, perhaps with some sort of incentive involved. Section 7 The socialization of holiday wish lists presents an incredible opportunity for brands The 3 most-requested holiday gifts on social media last year: 1) cash, 2) gift cards, 3) Apple products
- 11. 11 mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! Tell a product story with Facebook carousel ads Facebook's carousel ads, which allow users to scroll through images of multiple products in a single unit, have already had a dramatic impact: the company says cost per conversion has dropped 30–50% and cost per click has dropped 20–30% for brands. What makes the units so effective? They’re visual, mobile friendly, social, and extremely easy to interact with. By just swiping across a screen, a user can easily see a product, as well as its price and related offerings from the vendor. Brands should be able to boost the impact of their e-commerce activities significantly this holiday season by simply using carousel ads to showcase disparate products. However, savvy advertisers can make the units even more effective by doing one simple thing: telling a story. By weaving together the individual products showcased into a coherent narrative—for example, around a holiday story (The Lights of Hanukkah) or list (3 Perfectly Ugly Christmas Sweaters)—you can easily increase the number of people who swipe through the full set of images. That’ll make the units far more effective, and much more fun as well. Section 8 Savvy advertisers can make the units even more effective by doing one simple thing: telling a story Carousel ads have already dropped cost per conversion by 30%–50%
- 12. 12 mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! Produce holiday-themed social cinemagraphs Cinemagraphs are stop-motion videos that appear to be still images with subtle movements— essentially, animated GIFs on sedatives. These little pieces have been called “hypnotic” by Adweek and hailed as the future of advertising by Facebook. What makes them so powerful? Essentially, that they change just enough to catch a viewer’s eye without distracting too much. Fashion brands have been longtime fans of cinemagraphs, because they stand out, but still showcase products (you can see some great examples here). For brands looking to differentiate themselves this holiday season, cinemagraphs are a great tool to utilize. They’re the perfect medium for quick, engaging pieces— perhaps a simple greeting message that showcases your brand’s logo, or a small set of gift ideas incorporating your products. One of the best things about cinemagraphs is that they look visually rich and yet are (relatively) simple to create. If you’re looking to get started, here’s a good tutorial on how to build one in Photoshop. Section 9 Cinemagraphs are essentially animated GIFs on sedatives
- 13. 13 mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! So what’s the key to succeeding with these tactics? It’s simple: Don’t be a Scrooge. Authenticity and relatability are important for all marketing channels, but they’re especially key on social media, where interactions are extremely personal. The holidays amplify this even more; messaging that feels forced or corporate is not going to connect with consumers. If you want your social media efforts to break through all the noise from other brands, focus on being real and useful. Live-broadcast events that your employees actually enjoy, pick charitable causes to support that you fully believe in, and create content that truly feels fun. In other words, if you want to succeed on social media this year, the best thing you can do is to get in the holiday spirit.
- 15. mdgadvertising.com Share this e-book! If you would like to receive future MDG e-books, subscribe to the MDG blog, or request a consultation on increasing your social media engagement with an integrated advertising approach, call 561 338 7797 or visit us at mdgadvertising.com. Florida 3500 NW Boca Raton Blvd. Suite 601 Boca Raton, FL 33431 561 338 7797 New York 275 Madison Ave. 14th Floor New York, NY 10016 917 969 5370