One of the great benefits of social media’s presence within the inbound marketing methodology is that it not only provides a more direct way to connect with fans and customers, but it can also be updated in real time or scheduled in advance. This makes it a good tool to promote brand awareness by virtue of posts originating on social media, and to drive traffic to your website.However, only cross-posting various content from your website onto your social media channels might not be the best way to make a good impression. To succeed on social media a brand must be willing to connect with users in a way that isn’t limited to website promotions.
Enter the importance of context. According to one blog post by HubSpot:
“People are the sum of their entire experience, across channels, across devices, across their whole history of interactions with your company. And that experience, like water, should move and adapt around us.”
Using context to inform your holiday marketing enables it to adapt to the times, the seasons, and what’s trending in conversations online. This October, get your social media ready for Halloween!
1. Carve out Your Visuals
If you want to keep your posts engaging throughout the season, just having one short greeting post isn’t enough. Start including seasonal touches into several visual collaterals you post on social media. This keeps the look of your page fresh and exciting, and is a good way to change up the otherwise static look of a timeline and newsfeed, bringing more attention to your brand. You don’t have to insert Halloween into every single post, though—If you’re pressed for time or resources, you can opt to just have a suitably spooky cover photo for the duration of the month.
Social media manager tip: Don’t go overboard with the Halloween elements. Remember to stick to your brand’s visual guidelines even while changing it up.
2. Hold Halloween Contests
If you are having an event or product launch that coincides with the months of October or November, take advantage of the timing and theme your announcements and promotions around Halloween. Since Halloween is an internationally recognized cultural phenomenon, chances are that it will be dominating conversations online. Join the conversation with something valuable to offer and people will take notice.
Social media manager tip: Make sure your prizes correspond with the amount of effort users have to make in order to receive them. Include all the mechanics and details in your promotions, including start and end date and how you’ll be sending the prizes to the winners.
3. Show Off Your Company Costumes
Is your company planning a Halloween party? Maybe you’ll be having some office decorating and trick-or-treating? Some of your employees might even take to wearing themed costume-inspired outfits to work throughout the month! Let your audience sneak a peek at the less serious side of your business by showcasing photos of your team in Halloween garb. Posts like these that showcase your company culture not only improve your connection with your audience and prospects, they might also attract new talent interested in being a part of your team.
Social media manager tip: These kinds of posts go great on visual-heavy networks like Facebook or Instagram. Remember to use a company-specific hashtag in the copy for each post so that your team can easily search for their own photos.
Context is Everything
Make sure to time your posts right and don’t stay out of the loop. There’s no bigger mistake than greeting your followers a happy Halloween… a week after it already happened. Use all the tools at your disposal and remember what your audience likes.
Learn more about context’s role in inbound marketing. Schedule a free consultation with our team of professionals.