5 Social Media Tips for the Holiday Season

As summer starts to fade away, the holiday season is quickly approaching and businesses are already contemplating what strategies will be the most effective for maximizing sales.

According to a survey from Bizo, 65 percent of executives claim that social media is the most important aspect for the upcoming shopping season, followed by e-mail at 46 percent and content marketing at 45 percent.

The survey also shows that 55 percent of executives measure social success based on their number of followers, and 19 percent of executives claim that they'll improve content offers over the next quarter.

Here are a few options to take into consideration when preparing a social media campaign for the 2011 holiday season:

- Sales - Publicize sales through social media that are specifically related to the holiday season. For example, post about early-bird specials, Black Friday deals or daily gift ideas. Suggesting gift ideas is a good way to get consumers thinking about what items they still need to buy on their gift lists.

- Links - Posting links to your website through social media during the holiday season is crucial. The links will drive traffic to your site and help maximize sales.

- Stay Interactive - Although the holiday season is a time to focus on sales, don't forget that social media is a way to interact with your audience and create brand loyalty. Post holiday related questions or polls to keep your fans and followers interested. For example a toy store could ask, "What's your favorite toy that you ever received for Christmas?" or "What toy do your children want this holiday season?" The consumer interaction will keep your fans thinking about your brand.

- Contests - Promote contests that will get your page more fans, bring consumers into brick and mortar stores and steer them to your website. Examples for contests could be, "Recommend our page to your friends for a chance to win a gift card," or "Be one of the first 100 guests to make a purchase in our store tomorrow and receive a free gift." These contests will get consumers attention because everyone likes free things, especially during the holiday season.

- Give - It is important to remember that the holidays are about giving. Use social media to promote what you will give back to the community during the holiday season. Raising money for families in need or setting up a toy drive are a few options to think about.