• by Maria Bailey , Columnist, October 21, 2016

It’s that time again when brands are looking for the silver bullet that will drive holiday sales and help them meet their goals for 2016. Unfortunately, many marketing teams set their plans in place back in the spring. I say unfortunately because in a time when social media is constantly changing, it’s nearly impossible to predict what social platform will be popular six months in advance. 

Ask anyone last February if they would be talking about Facebook Live for live-streaming videos and I will bet they would have told you to put your money on Periscope. The platforms that moms are using move as fast as a toddler in a ball pit. Marketing to moms has become a fluid environment and those who are not flexible in their marketing plans miss the full potential of the market. So what are some of the most effective new marketing tactics for the 2016 season?

• Facebook Live: There’s a reason I mention this platform first. I choose Facebook Live over a single blog post for most product reviews. A picture (in this case video) is worth a thousand words and a Facebook Live video can attract thousands of viewers to your product. 

• YouTube videos: Millennials shop with the advice of videos. YouTube is their search engine of choice and it’s where they look when researching a product and for product comparisons (features and price). There are very affordable YouTubers who are willing to review product and now is the perfect time to add this to marketing tests.

• Amazon Video Reviews: I’ve never been a fan of inauthentic product reviews and neither are consumers. This is perhaps why Amazon recently clamped down on brands paying bloggers to post reviews on product pages. There are several approved video providers for Amazon who will review your product and post video reviews on your product page and social media.

• Instagram: it’s not new but its influence has grown since last year, particularly with young consumers (i.e., millennial moms). It’s a must for products and brands, and, of course, the video options make Instagram even more effective. Perhaps even more effective than blog posts. 

Regardless of the social media platform du jour, the overriding lesson I have learned and always convey to clients is flexibility. Be willing to allocate or shift resources on the fly to leverage last-minute opportunities, to test programs on emerging platforms, or to capitalize on a program or campaign that’s showing excellent results. For many brands, the holiday season can represent 30% or more of annual sales, a number that makes holiday marketing and social media campaigns so important.

Are you using the social media platforms listed above? I’d love to hear your experiences here or tweet me at @momtalkradio to continue the conversation.