How To Utilize Twitter For The Holidays

Happy Halloween! As October winds to an end, it is time to face the fact that Christmas is only 55 days away. Have you planned your social media holiday marketing strategy? I tuned in to Twitter’s live #SmallGoesBig seminar on Tuesday for some insightful tips on how to spice up your small business’s digital presence this holiday season. Here are some key takeaways that social media professionals suggest you use to create a Twitter presence that will drive sales and promote awareness of your small to medium sized business (SMBs).

Research shows that consumers do use Twitter as a resource while holiday shopping.

Twitter represents a valuable opportunity to reach holiday shoppers. The social media platform performed market research on its users, and found that 24 percent of respondents plan to use twitter for holiday shopping. This does not account for individuals that browse the platform and are inspired by the content they stumble upon. Fifty-two percent of respondents also stated that in the past, they have seen something on Twitter that prompted them to make a holiday purchase.

Want specific stats toward small businesses? Research shows that six out of 10 shoppers follow a small business retailer or e-commerce site on Twitter. Consumers of SMBs are active on Twitter, it’s our job to catch their eye.

Give them what they want to hear.

Content is key. Holiday shoppers who use Twitter as a resource have stated they would like to see the following posts on SMB social media accounts:

• 44 percent want deals and special only
• 44 percent want sneak peeks/ first looks
• 36 percent want ideas for holiday gifts
• 35 percent want links to your online store

Twitter is about talking with, not at, your customers. Don’t be afraid to interact with your followers! Create in-the-moment conversations, engaging in topics regarding the holidays and your business’s services. Ask open ended questions to your followers like “What’s on your shopping list for #BlackFriday?” or “What’s your favorite #Christmas tradition?” Hashtags allow individuals searching for the topic to see your tweet, giving your brand wider exposure.

Use direct offers to engage customers

This tactic is aimed towards catching the eye of the 76 percent of Twitter users who have not planned on using Twitter as a holiday shopping resource. Twitter experts have coined two terms for direct offers shared on the social media platform - “Twixclusive” and “Flock to unlock.”

• Twixclusive offers are an exclusive offer on Twitter that your followers cannot find anywhere else. Post a link or an online code with the offer on a tweet. For example, “Get 20% off web hosting in the next 24 hours. Click the link to redeem.” The more frequently you offer Twixclusives, the more likely followers are going to check back on your page in the future.

• Flock to unlock incentivizes followers to spread your message by retweeting your tweet in order to unlock exclusive content. “Once this hits 30 re-tweets (RTs) we’ll give a code to save on a Yoga 11 making it $399! Make sure you’re following us!” When the follower retweets the content, it will show up on the home page of everyone who follows them, reaching a wider range of people. This method also encourages followers to check back on your page to see how many retweets the tweet received and what the code is to redeem the prize.