The end of the summer means a lot of things: back to school, the beginning of pumpkin spiced everything season and of course, Labor Day. Labor Day looks to celebrate hard working Americans by giving them a well-deserved long weekend. Along with barbeques and final trips down to the beach, many businesses celebrate too! There is no shortage of sales when it comes to this holiday weekend, so the question to ask is:

Are you taking advantage of this opportunity?

Your business could be missing out on this chance to boost sales and your following! Not sure how to do this? It’s simple: look to Social Media.

Social media isn’t just for teenagers; it’s a necessity for all businesses

Social media platforms give your company a place to connect and directly interact with your customer base. The first thing you have to do is figure out where your audience is. From there, determine what your brand’s voice is, how often you’re going to post and who is going to post. If you’re using a platform such as Instagram, it is also wise to stick to a particular “theme” when posting to keep your feed looking clean and polished. This essentially means that you use the same colors and filters in all of your images.

Crane and Lion and Brass Closing, two Boston based clothing companies, both do a great job at keeping their theme consistent.

Now that you have found where your audience spends most of their time, give them content that they will respond to. This online presence is essential as it gives small businesses and startups a boost in “visibility with both current customers and potential prospects” (Entrepreneur). Just remember that not everything you post should be about sales. Do your best to break up sales content with images of what is going on at your business, UGC (user generated content) and anything else you think they might enjoy. Also, make sure that you are focusing on providing quality over quantity.

UGC Posted by Crane and Lion

Promotions and discounts are the way to go

November and December are notorious for being the most popular shopping time of the year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start earlier! According to Entrepreneur, “in the 2016 holiday season, 62 percent of retailers found success with promotions and discounts.” This is your time to cut in on this and grab the attention of both loyal customers and those that have recently disengaged.

Image Courtesy of Paintzen

So, what can you do on Labor Day that will make your promotions stand out from the rest? Here are some of our favorite techniques:

• Utilize the live feature: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all have live capabilities. This is where you should show your followers what it is like to be in your store or office. Selling clothes? Put on a live fashion show! Want to promote your personal training business? Take them through a workout in real time. There is a lot you can do with this one, simple tool so use it to your advantage.

• Create stories: On Instagram, your page is supposed to look structured and planned out. But, with the “stories” feature you can show a different side of your company. You can use this to have customers show everyone what they bought, have an employee talk about their favorite product, or display specific things that are on sale. And don’t neglect Snapchat! Use this app in the same way and reach a whole different demographic.

Images Courtesy of @sprinklescupcakes

• Multichannel contests: It is no secret, everyone loves prizes! An excellent way to not only gain followers but also increase interaction is through contests. Design a contest that revolves around Labor Day and encourages fans to participate by posting, liking, commenting, sharing, retweeting and tagging. One way to do this is by having them post an image with their favorite product from your brand. Then, post them on a platform such as Facebook and have others decide which they like best by liking them. This kind of connection with your audience will show potential customers just how much you value them. You can also use the UGC from the content in future newsletters and blog posts!

Image Courtesy of @gemvara

• Holiday hashtags: To go along with your sale and contest, put together a simple, branded hashtag that ties in the holiday. This way when customers post you can find them all in one place. Plus, you are getting great brand exposure!

• Filters: If your customer base can be found on Snapchat, invest in a filter to promote the sale. This way, when someone near one of your stores takes a Snap, they can use your filter to decorate it. It is also a great way to reach new customers. If someone near your store sees your filter they might be inclined to come visit.

There you have it, a breakdown of what you need to do plan a Successful Labor Day social media campaign! Now go figure out which strategies and platforms are best for your brand and get going.

Want to leave the social media management up to the professionals? That’s where we come in! Contact Pepper Gang to learn more about our services today!

Sources:

• This Entrepreneur’s Eye-Catching Instagram Keeps Her Nail Salon 100 Percent Booked: http://bit.ly/2xsrnI2
• 5 Ways to Make Your Labor Day Marketing Festive and Effective: http://bit.ly/2wl6wqZ
• You Should Be Planning Now For Holiday Sales: http://bit.ly/2vlfFBW
• Boost Sales With These 7 Social Media Steps: http://bit.ly/2bkWWZy

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