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Any change in season gives you a chance to do some fresh marketing — especially on social media where you can be quick and nimble with new campaigns. To get your creative juices flowing, here are seven fall social media marketing ideas for small businesses.
1. Start stockpiling fall-themed images.
Especially on Instagram, beautiful images are what get you likes. (To brush up on your Instagram game, read our post Instagram 101 for Small Businesses.) So it’s time to sunset summer hues and instead start infusing fall-esque images into your activity there. You should also consider updating all your social media header photos and profile pictures to an autumn theme.
To gather images, think about doing a full-blown photo shoot with your fall inventory, set against backgrounds that speak to the season. Another strategy is to keep some of your products with you at all times, because you never know where inspiration may strike. Either way, the goal is to come up with an arsenal of fresh images to post throughout the next few months. (If you need a tutorial on photo shoots, check out our post Expert Tips for Photographing Your Products.)
2. Create fall inspo boards.
Celebrate your favorite things about the season with autumn mood boards on Pinterest. If you own a cafe, this could be seasonal treats and recipes like apple cider donuts and pumpkin scones (or basically anything with pumpkin in it). If you own a boutique, pin great street style, top trends, and staples like cozy sweaters, great jeans, and killer boots — preferably from your own e-commerce site.
3. Run Facebook ads.
Now is the time to promote your new fall offerings on Facebook — and put some money behind those posts. Square’s Customer Engagement software lets you buy Facebook ads from within the system and then monitor their success. The tool allows you to track coupon claims and redemptions, and even see the number of in-store sales that were made as a result of your campaigns.
4. Post daily reasons to love fall.
Football games, crunchy leaves, sweater weather — there are so many (highly shareable) reasons to adore autumn. Try posting one a day for a week or even a month and invite followers to tag their friends and share their favorite things about fall. Don’t forget to mix in a few items from your shop or online store.
5. Share a fall trend report.
If you own a boutique or a salon, it’s your job to stay abreast of the season’s best looks, so create a curated list of fall’s top fashion trends and hairstyles and post one each day on Instagram. Include styling tips and how-tos, and offer discounts or free add-on services when customers like or share the post.
6. Crowdsource content.
Challenge your followers to show off their best fall looks and post the images on Instagram with a dedicated hashtag. (Be sure to respond to each and every one, so they know you’re listening.) Consider rewarding participants with goodies, like a punch on their Square Loyalty account or a gift card to your business. You could also thank your Instagram followers by sending them a special discount code or free gift offer when they come in to your shop.
7. Invite schools to show their spirit.
As a small business, getting involved in the community is key. A fun way to do this is by putting out a call on social media for local high schools to get creative and post videos and images that best express their school or town spirit. Post the best submissions on your social media channels and reward your favorite with a donation to their school, and maybe invite the winning filmmakers to your shop or restaurant for a little celebration.
8. Get social in real life.
Engaging with your customers online is great, but hanging out in person is even better. So, post an invite on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and any other social mediums of choice and ask followers to come to your store for a shopping party with food, drinks, music, and, of course, special promotions and giveaways. To give your event guest list an added boost, send an email to your regulars through Square Email Marketing.
