December naturally lends itself to more seasonal themes for content than other times of the year. For those who might not be in full-on sales mode or who perhaps just need a little something extra aside from their own business to share on social, our post covers some themes that you might like to use for social media content inspiration.
First up we have some general ideas for the season;
- Get festive with your feed – bring some festive cheer into your newsfeed as and where it’s appropriate. For products that might be sharing photos of them against a Christmas tree or adorned with festive bows, it might even be sharing them via video with some festive music.
- Decorate your profile – whether it’s your personal or business profiles, you can incorporate some festive designs or simply update with your Christmas hours.
- Talk about holiday traditions – whether it’s why you put the tree up on a certain day or how the office party always kicks off with a festive challenge, you can bring this into your social media to show a little of what happens behind the scenes.
- Give something back – you might like to highlight a particular cause that’s close to your heart or a charitable event that’s taking place.
- Discounts – yes we’ve all been inundated with discounts over Black Friday / Cyber Monday and January sales aren’t too far away. However, December isn’t a peak business period for everybody, as a service provider you might offer an incentive to book an appointment for traditionally quieter times early in the year now.
- Have a competition – not everybody is working longer hours or partying this time of year, take advantage of those who might be on leave from work and sitting around with the phone in hand scrolling through social media. Remember though, try keep it related to your business as any new followers you get this way you’ll hopefully have as potential customers in the future.
- Share recipes – whether it’s a favourite Christmas dinner essential, a sweet treat or the must-have cocktail for the Christmas party, it’s a natural fit if you’re in hospitality but it can be used to share a little insight into those who are working as a personal brand too.
- Talk about New Year’s resolutions – in a matter of weeks it’ll be all about the resolutions, if you can come up with suggestions related to your business it’s something you should be considering.
- Predictions for the year ahead – make them relative to your business or industry, it’s got to be something your audience is interested in as they are after all that you need to think about first when it comes to creating content.
- 12 days of Christmas – yes, you will see this throughout social media because it can be as simple as selecting 12 products that you’ll promote or do a demo of or offer a special on over 12 dedicated days.
- Special arrangements – make sure to tell your customers in lots of time was the last dates for ordering for Christmas are and if you can make alternative arrangements once the last posting dates are gone.
- Your business plans – changes to opening hours including the break over Christmas and New Year.
Separately from the general themes, there are of course specific dates that you can incorporate during the month also, including;
- 1st December – World Aids Day
- 3rd December – International Disability Day
- 4th December – Cookie Day, the edible type!
- 5th December – International Volunteers Day
- 9th December – Techno Day, this relates to the style of music.
- 10th December – Human Rights Day
- 10th December – Christmas Jumper Day, one that is frequently used to highlight a fundraiser and can be adapted if another day works better for you.
- 12th December – Gingerbread House Day
- 21st December – Winter Solstice
- 24th December – Christmas Eve; always try to sign off with a festive greeting whether you finish up on the 24th as is likely for retailers or sooner if you finish up earlier in the week.
- 25th December – Christmas Day; don’t feel you need to post, it’s a day off for most and it doesn’t necessarily reflect well on a brand that’s popping up on the 25th looking to sell when it’s supposed to be about spending time with loved ones.
- 26th December – St Stephens Day (Ireland) or Boxing Day (UK); traditionally a festive day off when increasingly more sales kick-off even if it’s just online.
- 31st December – New Year’s Eve; and this is one you can highlight with a countdown, even if it’s outside of your regular posting schedule. You might also do a Happy New Year post on the first day of the month, or if you’re not back to work for a few days yet you can hold off until then.
This year, for the first time in a couple of years, has been a lot more ‘normal’ and whether you’re making great efforts to get as many sales in as possible this month, or, you’re looking forward to winding down for the year, make the most of your social media presence and please try for your business’ sake not to neglect it at this time of year.
If you need help with planning for social media, creating content, support for marketing, a strategy for the year ahead, or your website needs a makeover, pop an email to debbie@themarketingshop.ie and we can schedule a call to discuss your requirements.
Debbie Ringwood is a Marketing Specialist with over 20 years of experience in B2B and B2C Marketing. She is a Graduate of the Marketing Institute of Ireland and the Digital Marketing Institute. She is a Linkedin Certified Marketing Insider, META Certified Community Manager, and Canva Champion.
Debbie supports, coaches, and trains businesses in Marketing, Social Media, Canva & WordPress along with her team, working with businesses at different stages of their journey.