This year, Black Friday falls on Friday, November 25th and it looks set to be bigger than ever for retailers, with experts predicting that £5 billion will be spent over the whole week. Social media has a huge part to play when it comes to Black Friday, allowing you to engage with potential customers through giveaways, competitions and exclusive discounts. Social engagement generally peaks in the days leading up to Black Friday, so you’re missing a trick if you don’t take advantage.
Here are some top tips on how to get the most out of your social media for this year’s Black Friday, whether your business is big or small.
Post frequently
Obviously, the most important thing is that you are active around Black Friday and make sure to keep posting and engaging with your customers. Scheduling some posts ahead of time will help to keep things ticking over, and keep excitement levels high in the build-up to the big day. Customers will definitely be researching the web for all the best deals some time in advance of Black Friday, so consider running a Facebook or AdWords campaign to get their attention.
Also, make sure that you’re using hashtags such as #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday so that everyone knows that you’re taking part!
Have a plan
The more planning you do ahead of the day itself, the smoother everything will run, so it’s important to have a cohesive plan for all of the social media platforms you intend to use. Make sure to set some achievable goals, such as increasing sales of a particular product, and outline how you plan to achieve them.
Make sure to monitor all of your accounts
While focusing on what you’re posting yourself is important, you also need to be sure that you keep on top of what others are saying about you. Make sure to have someone who is tracking what is happening across your accounts, seeing where you’re being mentioned and by who. Potential customers really appreciate it when you are attentive and quick to respond to their questions and comments, even if they’re negative ones.
Remember to report on your results
We spoke to social media experts, Edinburgh-based Pilot Fish Media who highlighted the importance of effective reporting.
They said: “As always, it’s important to look into the data behind your social media platforms and make note of what went well, and what perhaps didn’t work so well. This will help improve the sort of content that you’re providing to your customers and allow you to improve your social strategy throughout the Christmas period and into the New Year.”
Keep Customers Informed
Social media is a great way to keep your customers updated on everything they need to know regarding the Christmas period, such as whether opening times will be changing, or what sort of delivery options they can expect. Doing so will increase customer loyalty and make them feel a lot more appreciated. To get an idea of the sort of things your customers want to be kept informed on, try using social listening tools such as Hootsuite.
At the end of the day, social media is a marketing approach which, in 2016, all brands should be taking notice of and utilising to it’s full advantage. Whether you’re a bricks and mortar business or an online-only retailer, social media is a great way to share offers and new products as well as offering expert guidance and opinion.
With Black Friday 2016 just around the corner, what are your plans for using your social channels effectively? Get planning and you’ll undoubtedly see your campaigns drive sales and success over the busiest online shopping weekend of the year!
Featured photo credit: Shutterstock via shutterstock.com
The post How To Handle Your Brand’s Social Media Ahead Of Black Friday appeared first on Lifehack.
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