2020 is one for the books and it isn’t over yet. According to Pinterest’s Holiday 2020 Report, people started planning for the holidays months earlier than normal, beginning as early as April. As they put it, “people are looking forward to looking forward.” With so many restrictions on social interactions and travel, it’s no wonder that holiday escapism is trending. Does that mean it’s time to break out the decorations? Not exactly. Here are several takeaways from Pinterest for your social media marketing plan.
Big Ideas on a Budget
Money is tight for many Americans, but the need to celebrate is big. Help your customers achieve their over-the-top holiday vision with budget-friendly ideas. Start sharing gift guides on Facebook now. Tips for spotting sales on Instagram, and DIY ideas on Pinterest. Anything that may take a bit of time to accomplish is especially important to address now. Additionally, take a good look at your offerings. Can any of your products be reimagined as decorations? Perhaps your services could be gifted in an unconventional way.
Earliest Bird Special
Speaking of budgets, shoppers concerned about availability and shipping delays are looking for early deals now. Last year, 50% of holiday shopping was complete by December 3, according to SalesForce. The pandemic has only intensified early shopping. Serve up a pre-holiday sale to capture these eager shoppers and ease their worries about production disruptions and delays.
Newbie Needs
Those refraining from family gatherings will find themselves in a new situation–being the host. And they will likely be looking to recreate family traditions and holiday dishes. This means a slew of first-time turkey basters, holiday bakers and house decorators. Craft multiple messages to reach first-time and seasoned hosts.
Micro-holidays
Don’t lose sight of the forest for the Christmas trees. Yes, Thanksgiving and Christmas are big, however, with fewer and smaller gatherings, people are looking to celebrate the little holidays as well. Pinterest reports that this year 7 in 10 Pinners plan on celebrating smaller holidays like Friendsgiving and New Year’s Day. Ask yourself, how can my brand meet this need?
Virtual Window Shopping
With traditional window shopping off the table for many, find ways to inspire gift giving via your social media. Consider highlighting your products by category, offering a gift-giving guide based on interests or themes like supercharged self-care, grounded traveler, budding baker.
Reimagine
If Macy’s can reimagine its iconic Thanksgiving Day Parade, you can reimagine your social media messaging. Offer tips for throwing a holiday Zoom party, earrings that pop on camera, how to dress for socially-distanced holiday family portraits. Before you assume your product or service will be in less demand this year, check out Pinterest’s top holiday search terms. You might be surprised what’s trending.
Customers are looking for help, and your brand is poised to answer that need. If you’re finding it hard to get into the holiday spirit, our Troupe is ready to make holiday magic.
Written by Cristin Burns || Amazon Specialist & Social Media Maven