3 Ways to Prep Your Instagram Strategy For The Holiday Season

The holiday season is right around the corner, and for all small business owners I know you have already started thinking about what that means for sales and how to properly promote our products and services to capitalize on this season of the year. With that being said, outlining and planning for your social media strategy is a great way to take advantage (in the best way) of the money coming in and out of your business, and aid in sales and company awareness. 

As we have mentioned before, we recommend planning out your social calendar at least a month in advance, but when it comes to the holiday season, and the craziness that comes with that, prepping and planning can take a back burner. So we have lined up a couple ways you can be better prepared and make planning a one day thing - that way you can focus your time on other things this season. 

FIRST THINGS FIRST - WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN!

When planning your strategy, you want to make note of any specific events, sales, coupons codes, etc that the followers will want to know about. And during the holiday season, that can be very important. Writing down what you want to post, how often, and the content you want to create will help you when you go to get the photos and videos to batch work. So grab a piece of paper or notes app on your phone and write down all the post ideas, coupon codes, sales days and more so you can visualize it all laid out. We challenge you to think all the way to December.

SECOND, TAKE YOUR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ALL IN ONE OR TWO DAYS! 

We can guarantee that if you have a shot list and an idea of what you want posted in the upcoming months, you can get all the photos and videos in a one or two day period. Being intentional about your shoot day and prioritizing your shot list and vision board will expedite things.

Pro-tip: Take your list of ideas and lay them out in a calendar format, writing in each post that you plan on putting up for that day. This way, you can visually see the content that you’ll need to capture first. This can help with the overwhelm and show you exactly what you need for photos and graphics! Having planned out posts in advance will help you create more intentional content that your target audience will relate to. 

Having a planned feed going into the holiday season not only saves your time in the end, but also allows you to spend that time with the people who are most important in your life without neglecting your social media. So… plan that shot list and get as much content as you can in one or two days - you will be surprised! 

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, HIRE CONTENT CREATORS!

Hiring content creators to balance out your content this season is a MUST!  UGC (User generated content) is content created by real people for YOU to post on your social media account. Instead of hiring an influencer to post on your behalf (which can get expensive real fast), you can hire real people, or agencies, to create content for a specific product, season, or campaign.

It takes a lot of effort to produce the amount of videos and professional photos that you need to do a great job on social media during the holidays. So, do yourself a favor and delegate! It might be more affordable than you think, and I bet you can guarantee that it will allow you to show up more consistently and uniquely.

In conclusion, gearing up for the holiday season requires a well-thought-out Instagram strategy that aligns with the festive spirit while maximizing your small business's potential. The chaos that often accompanies this time of year shouldn't deter you from planning; instead, it should motivate you to streamline your efforts. As we've discussed, taking proactive measures can turn the overwhelming task of social media planning into a manageable one-day affair.

The first crucial step involves meticulous documentation. By jotting down key events, sales, and promotional details in advance, you create a roadmap for your content. This not only ensures you cover all the essential bases but also aids in efficient batch working when it comes to gathering visual assets. Efficiency is further emphasized in the second step—condensing your photo and video shoots into a concentrated one or two-day effort. Armed with a shot list and a clear vision, this approach enables you to capture all necessary content efficiently. Finally, the inclusion of User-Generated Content (UGC) creators in your strategy is a game-changer. Leveraging content produced by real individuals adds authenticity to your brand, a quality that modern consumers crave.

By adopting these three strategies—detailed planning, efficient content creation, and embracing UGC—your small business can navigate the holiday season with confidence. Not only will this approach save you time and resources, but it also allows you to focus on what matters most: enjoying the festive season with loved ones while your well-executed Instagram strategy works its magic for your business.

**To get more information and first-dibs access to our new content creation services, you can reach out here! We’ll have our very own landing page soon to give you all the details.