3 easy Facebook marketing ideas you can use this holiday season

As it gets closer to Christmas, there are many things you can do to get more sales. Facebook marketing is one way to get the job done since many people are using Facebook to find out what their friends and family are buying this year. Social media is a powerful way to increase brand awareness so don’t hesitate to test out new ideas. Here are three easy Facebook marketing ideas you can use for your business:

Countdown to Christmas Day

There's nothing like creating a sense of urgency while reminding everyone that you’re in business. Your countdown could feature different things for every day that you count down to Christmas. Here are a few ideas you can customize to your business:

• 10 ways cool features available in your latest product

• 12 discount codes for each of your services

• 10 things your business is grateful for

Giveaway collaboration

Do you want to expand your reach and get in front of more customers on Facebook? Partner with a business that complements what you have to offer. People aren’t always buying just one gift for a friend or family member. If the person they’re purchasing presents for is into fitness, there’s a good chance they won’t just buy single hoodie. They could end up buying supplements and a water bottle to go with the hoodie. Which businesses could you collaborate with this holiday season on a giveaway? Below are a handful of collaborations that could work really well:

• A yoga studio and a smoothie shop

• A motorcycle dealership and an auto repair shop

• A catering company and a wedding planner

• A boxing gym and a spa

• A photography studio and a nail salon

Let us know in the comments below who you’re thinking of collaborating with!

User-generated content

Are your customers taking pictures of your products/services? Share them on your Facebook timeline! It’s an effective way to show your customers that you’re paying attention them and what they have to say. User-generated content is a simple way to gain more trust with greater authenticity. You’re able to help potential customers relate to your business when they see people like them benefitting from your business.

The ideas above fairly simple can be very effective in your Facebook marketing efforts since you can involve your online community. Do you have any questions about Facebook marketing for your business? Let us know in the comments below!

How to get more Instagram followers

You have every reason to want to build up your Instagram following. Increasing your Instagram follower count will help in many ways from greater brand recognition to more sales opportunities. Getting more people to pay attention to what you’re doing isn’t impossible but it will take some time so be patient. Here are several ways to get more Instagram followers for free:

Optimize your Instagram bio

Before doing anything with your Instagram bio, make sure that you have an Instagram Business profile. It’ll give you more features to work with including better stats. Once you’ve converted to a business profile, start optimizing your Instagram bio.

Be sure to have a clear profile picture whether it’s a headshot if you’re an influencer or a logo to represent your company. After you’ve uploaded a great profile pic, include a concise summary of what you’re about and a link to your website. Your summary in your Instagram bio needs to communicate how you best serve your target audience. It’s in your best interest to show off your personality as well.

You can also add a couple of key hashtags to your Instagram bio to give yourself more chances to be discovered. People shouldn’t have to think about what your Instagram account is about if you’ve optimized your Instagram bio.

Post different content from your Facebook posts

While it may be easy, do not repost your Instagram posts to your Facebook business page whenever possible. Give your customers and clients a reason to follow you on both platforms by creating a different experience for each social platform. Focus on quality photos and videos for Instagram since Instagram is designed for people who consume information visually. If you don’t have the skillset to produce high-end photos and video but have the resources, outsource your Instagram content needs within a reasonable budget. It’s a worthwhile investment that will pay off in a growing following.

Use hashtags

Did you know you can use up to 30 hashtags on an Instagram post? Instagram allows the use of many hashtags which will give you more chances to be discovered. No, you don’t have to use 30 hashtags in every post but you should at least use several hashtags that are relevant to the industry you are in. Here are a few examples of hashtags if you are marketing a shopping mall:

• #shopping

• #fashion

• #mensfashion

• #womensfashion

• #holidayshopping

• #christmasgifts

Don’t forget to use hashtags for the city you’re in along with surrounding areas if you’re a location-based business. This will help you get more people in the door who live close by.

Reply to all comments and direct messages

As Instagram’s algorithm continues to change, the importance of comments and direct messages continues to increase. Stay on top of all comments and direct messages you receive. It’ll help you maintain a positive online reputation and build a loyal following. Responding to everything you receive shows that you care and are paying attention to your community.

Post consistently to your feed and Instagram Stories

You can’t succeed on Instagram if you don’t post consistently. Figure out a sustainable schedule and stick to it with the help of scheduling software like Later.com or Facebook Creator Studio. If you can post twice a day then post twice a day. If you can only have enough content to post every other day then do that. The main thing is that you provide a consistent source of value for members of the Instagram community.

How have you been building your brand on Instagram? Do you have any questions about Instagram marketing? Comment below of email Josh at josh@jamiascreative.com!

Social media trends you need to be aware of for 2020

2019 has been quite the year for social media practitioners thanks to the algorithm changes on apps like Instagram and the growth in user base for apps like TikTok. It can feel overwhelming to try to keep up with all of the changes in social media. Despite this feeling, you can still increase sales and build your brand on social media by staying on top of the latest trends. We’ve compiled a handful of social media trends you need to be aware of for 2020. Sure, this isn’t the full list but don’t worry about it. Focus on the social media marketing trends in this blog post:

Rise in new social platforms

It can be easy to forget that Facebook was once a new social platform. Not everyone knew about Instagram when it first came out. As the user base of different social media platforms continues to grow, don’t be afraid to test out new social networks your target audience uses or may use. Doing your research will help you be ready for new growth opportunities. Some of these apps you may not have heard of yet include Telegram and Meet Up.

Messaging has never been more important

As apps like Facebook try to demonstrate a value for privacy, the value of messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and Instagram’s Threads will grow in popularity. It’s important that you respond to all messages you receive. Staying on top of all messages you receive will help you increase brand loyalty and improve your brand’s reputation.

Consistency still matters

A new year doesn’t mean the value of or need for consistent posting is put to an end. Whether you’re posting every day, twice a day, or three times a week, stick to your schedule. You can’t expect any organic reach or organic engagement if you don’t post to your social accounts. Quality content will give you the opportunity to earn the trust of new followers and customers. Always focus on providing value to give people a reason to keep coming back to your profiles whether it’s on Instagram or Twitter.

Social commerce will be a normal thing

The use of social media networks sell products and services only continues to grow. Social commerce is effective 58% of people say social media influences their purchasing decisions. There are several things you can do to increase your sales through social media marketing. One way to increase your social commerce opportunities is to optimize all of your content for mobile. This is because 45% of in-store consumers rely on mobile social platforms to inform them about purchasing decisions. Another way you can succeed with social commerce is respond to all reviews. Staying on top reviews will help you maintain a positive reputation.

Do you have any questions about how these social media trends affect your business? Email Josh at josh@jamiascreative.com!