4 Easy Steps for Holiday Content Planning

As the weather starts to turn progressively cooler, it can be a signal for individuals and brands alike to begin making plans for the holidays. Between now and the end of the year, the calendar is packed with celebrations and of course, promotional content. Before your social strategies are set in stone, here are a few things to keep in mind to keep your fans excited for what’s next.

  1. Tell a Story

Like any great piece or series of content, holiday content should tell a story. Don’t simply present products or push a holiday message that may come across as hollow. Provide value for your audience; connect with and educate them with seasonal content. People have great memories (well, at least mostly great) of holidays, so use your storytelling abilities to tap into those.

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  1. Have Fun With Hashtags

This is a strategy that can obviously be implemented year-round, but with the added attention of the holidays comes added rewards from good execution. Charitable efforts are certainly ramped up this time of year, and the #GivingTuesday hashtag has seen tremendous usage and growth since starting in 2012. On the lighter side, Coke Zero used the #SweaterGenerator hashtag and supported it with a microsite where people could create their own tacky sweater. Just don’t make your hashtag too #branded.

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  1. UGC: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Like hashtags, there’s nothing inherently holiday-centric about user-generated content (UGC). However, the holidays are a time where a tremendous amount of content is shared and much of it is both positive and brand-focused. Leveraging (someone just won Buzzword Bingo) UGC can help reinforce that connection with your audience. A word of caution: always make sure you have permission to use UGC, otherwise it’s stealing. Stealing is bad.

  1. Don’t Cross-Pollenate Holidays

For the love of all that’s holy in said days, give time to celebrate each holiday on its own. We see it all too often: Christmas messaging out way, way too early. There’s so many great opportunities for unique content for other holidays that get missed out as a result. Make the most of the season, and remember: in that heavy coat and winter hat, Santa is way too hot in October.

Certainly there are more great strategies available for individual holiday campaigns. However, implementing (another Buzzword Bingo winner) these 4 tips can help connect with and delight your audience as the calendar comes to a close.



Ignite Social Media