Holiday Marketing Campaigns: Tis the Season to Sparkle

 

The holiday season kicks off soon with the Christmas markets opening here in Europe.  The festive piazzas are packed with little wooden cottages, each decorated in red, white, and green.  The smell of cinnamon, evergreen, and fresh Christmas pastries wafts through the chilly evening air.  Personalized stockings and ornaments, mugs of mulled wine, and a little bit of holiday cheer.  Small, local brands with well-designed holiday marketing campaigns are capturing seasonal shoppers, and you can too.

We all remember those Budweiser holiday ads with the majestic Clydesdales pulling a Budweiser carriage through snowy landscapes.  The Hershey’s kisses in Christmas tree formation, ringing out ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ with the last kiss ringing the hardest, then wiping his ‘brow’ with the little Hershey-logoed paper.  Or my personal favorite, the Folgers’ ‘‘I’ll be Home for Christmas’ ads, where a young man or woman makes it home for the holidays, sneaks in, and brews a pot of coffee as the whole house wakes up to the aroma and they share a holiday moment together.  Sniff, sniff.

These holiday marketing campaigns make you smile.  They make you feel something for the brand while capturing the sentiment of homecoming, warmth, and family bonding that the holidays are known for.

 

Shopping Holidays: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday, and Giving Tuesday

 

Snow is beginning to blanket the mountain tops here in northern Italy.  Puffy jackets are back.  Chestnuts are literally roasting over an open fire down the street!

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving weekend, are still heavy hitters when it comes to holiday sales.  Even here in Europe. 

Sure, in Italy and the rest of Europe, Thanksgiving is not celebrated.  It’s a normal workday with no traditions, no turkey, no long weekend.  However, there are still promotions for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales!  Therefore, if you are targeting an audience outside the U.S., include Black Friday and Cyber Monday in your marketing strategies.

In addition, there are several other ‘shopping holidays’ you can take advantage of:

• Small Business Saturday:  Started by American Express, encourages you to ‘Shop Local’
• Giving Tuesday: The Tuesday after Cyber Monday is a day for non-profits to start their end-of-year campaign push.
• Women-Led Wednesday: Supporting Women-owned businesses.

 

With so many opportunities to create a promotion that aligns your brand with the holidays, it is time to roll up your sleeves and get creative!  Our Holiday Marketing Campaign Guide is packed with lots of ideas you can start using today.  We’ve included holiday spending projections, top advertising channels, seasonal themes, pop-up events, and more.  Don’t wait for the snow to fall to start planning.  Let’s start under the mistletoe trailhead together!

 

 

Holiday Spending Projections in the U.S. and Europe

 

This year’s holiday spending is expected to continue an upward trend, but this is in part due to inflation, not just increased spending.  Total U.S. holiday retail sales are projected to hit $1.1 trillion.  That’s a 4.2% increase compared to 2025.  Spending on gifts for yourself is up, along with spending on travel and wellness.

In Europe, holiday spending is expected to grow 3% from last year.  Europeans are favoring “affordable luxuries”, such as beauty products, travel, vintage clothing, and live experiences.

Here’s more categories expected to see an increase:

• Experiential Purchases: Consumers are prioritizing adventures, wellness retreats, and travel.
• Outdoor Gear: Hiking gear, skiing equipment, all the gear for those family adventures!
• Sustainable Gifts and Giving Back: Eco-friendly, second-hand, and gifts that give back

 

In addition, there is a tug at the heartstrings of consumers, and they are more likely to contribute during end-of-year giving campaigns.  If you haven’t read our giving back blog, ‘Make a Charitable Donation and Get a Tax Write-Off’, bookmark it to read next!

All these holiday spending projections indicate a prime opportunity to tap into consumer demand through thoughtful holiday marketing campaigns.  Now is the time to gather the wagons and get creative!

 

 

The 4 Best Channels to Advertise Your Holiday Marketing Campaigns

 

Choosing the right channels for your holiday marketing campaigns is essential for reaching your target audience.  Especially during the busy holiday period!  Here are the top options that travel operators, outdoor and lifestyle brands should consider for the holidays:

 

1. Social Media Ads

 

Save a portion of your marketing budget to run more robust ads around the holidays instead of spending on social ads year-round.  Use Meta Business Suite to set up social ads across Facebook, Instagram, and all Meta platforms.

Keep in mind, Facebook is great for reaching an older demographic (45–60+ years old) who might be purchasing high-dollar travel or tour packages as gifts.  Instagram, however, is ideal for a slightly younger demographic who may be searching for discounts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales for items $200 or less.  Finally, use TikTok to appeal to younger audiences, with video tutorials, gear reviews, or family adventure stories that resonate.

For your holiday marketing campaign assets, begin collecting visually appealing festive product shots and holiday-themed storytelling.  Lean on user-generated content by reaching out to your brand ambassadors to create holiday collaborations!

 

2. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

 

As people search for gifts for mom, dad, or the family pet, using Google Search Ads, PMax Campaigns, and good SEO can help get your products in front of those holiday shoppers.  Set up ads using keywords and key phrases to target those searching for the best gifts for outdoor lovers (yes, we’ve written a blog about this!), or last-minute holiday travel deals.  Write a blog with key phrases you want to rank for, like ‘best ski holiday packages’ and ‘winter vacation spots’!

 

Here’s a list of some other favorite key phrases you might want to start ranking for:

 

Gift Shopping & Ideas

• “Best holiday gifts for [specific person: mom, dad, kids, boyfriend]”
• “Unique Christmas gift ideas”
• “Last-minute holiday gifts”
• “Personalized gifts”
• “Gift cards online”

 

Deals & Discounts

• “Black Friday deals”
• “Cyber Monday deals”
• “Shop Small and Save”
• “Best online holiday shopping sites”
• “Cheap holiday flights”

 

Holiday Travel

• “Best winter vacation spots”
• “Holiday travel tips”
• “Holiday travel deals”
• “Warm places to visit in December”
• “Christmas market trips”

 

3. Email Marketing

 

That email list you’ve worked so hard to build is priceless.  Email remains one of the highest-converting channels for holiday promotions.  Outdoor brands, travel agents, and tour operators can create segmented campaigns based on past purchases, open rates, or reward their most frequent customers with an extra discount during the holidays!

If you are running a holiday fundraising campaign, email is your best friend in this effort.  Ensure you have a holiday marketing campaign strategy for Giving Tuesday!  Create engaging storytelling around the impact someone can have by making a tax-deductible donation before the end of the year.  Read more about why end-of-year giving is so important for non-profits and learn more about the best 501c3 organizations in the outdoor industry!

 

4. Tap into Brand Ambassadors & Partners for Holiday Marketing Campaigns

 

Partnering with outdoor and adventure-driven brand ambassadors as you enter into the holiday season can be highly effective, especially when promoting travel or adventure experiences!  Ambassadors can create authentic content, showcasing their trip with you, or using your products in a festive and engaging way.  Read more about how to find the right ambassadors and content creators for your brand! 

When it comes to brand partnerships and affiliate marketing, consider partnering with bloggers, podcasters, and industry publications or websites that specialize in adventure travel.  Find out if they will be putting out a holiday gift guide!  Create a collab with a special offer for their listeners or readers!

 

 

5 Holiday Marketing Campaign Themes and Trends

 

Understanding the trends shaping holiday marketing campaigns can give you a competitive edge.  Here are some key themes to consider as you plan:

 

1. Sustainability and Ethical Marketing

 

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of their purchases.  Highlight eco-friendly practices, sustainable materials, and ethical production in your messaging.  Emphasize durability, repair services, and recyclable packaging in your holiday promotions.

 

2. Personalization

 

Tailor your holiday promotions to individual consumers.  Use customer data in Mailchimp or your preferred email marketing platform to send personalized product recommendations based on previous purchases or browsing history.  Did you just sell someone a pair of skis?  Maybe they need a new ski bag, ski straps, or mounts for their car.

 

3. Early Shopping

 

With concerns about shipping delays and inventory shortages, consumers are shopping earlier each year.  This trend began during the pandemic and is expected to continue in 2026.  Therefore, plan and launch holiday campaigns earlier.  Offer “early bird” discounts and encourage customers to buy now to ship to their loved ones before the holiday rush.

 

4. User-Generated Content

 

Customers trust other customers.  Encourage your audience to share their adventures, and tag your products or your tour on social media!  Offer incentives, such as a special discount.

 

5. Experience Over Products

 

Many consumers, especially millennials and Gen Z, are prioritizing experiences over physical products.  If your brand offers adventure tours, guided experiences, or a coaching clinic, market them as the ultimate holiday gift.  Highlight how these experiences create lasting memories and unique moments rather than just things.

 

 

5 Unique Holiday Marketing Campaign Ideas

 

To stand out as a special snowflake in a crowded holiday market, consider these creative marketing strategies:

 

1. Gift Packages:

Bundle your most popular gear and accessories into holiday gift packages.  Create themed bundles like “Winter Biking Essentials” or “Ski Adventure Package,” offering them as ready-to-go gifts for outdoor enthusiasts.

 

2. Gift Cards for Activities + Experiences:

Promote gift cards, not just for gear, but also for experiences, such as guided tours, adventure trips, or lessons.  If you do not have digital gift cards set up for sale on your website yet, do it now!  This allows your customers to give the gift of adventure, which can be a more personalized and memorable gift option.

 

3. Holiday-Themed Giveaways:

Run a social media giveaway that encourages users to share their favorite outdoor holiday moments. This can drive engagement and increase brand visibility.  Consider offering a prize like a free tour or a premium outdoor gear set.

 

4. Christmas Gift Guides:

Besides pitching industry publications to cover your offerings in their gift guide, develop your own holiday gift list!  An online holiday gift guide can make it easier for customers to find you in search.  In addition, a Christmas gift guide can help you build partnerships with like-minded brands by featuring them on your Christmas wish list.  Here’s our holiday gift guide.

 

5. Seasonal Outdoor Events:

Host or sponsor outdoor events during the holiday season.  Ideas might include a winter hike, nighttime bike ride, polar bear swim, snowshoeing excursion, Christmas market, or outdoor photography workshop.  Make it festive by asking attendees to don lights on their bicycles or wear ugly Christmas sweaters!  These events not only promote your products in action but also create community engagement and share that holiday spirit!

 

Final Thoughts on Holiday Marketing Campaigns

 

For travel, wellness, outdoor recreation, and lifestyle brands, the holiday season offers a significant opportunity to drive sales and engage with consumers.  By understanding the expected spending patterns, leveraging the right marketing channels, and staying ahead of trends, you can create a holiday marketing campaign that resonates with your audience and boosts your brand visibility.

Set your brand apart this holiday season and be creative in your approach!  Here are a few more blogs with festive strategies and marketing campaigns that you can use this winter:

• Giving Back: Make a Gift That Supports Your Favorite Outdoor Non-Profit
• Gifts for Outdoor Lovers: The Best Gifts for the Adventurer in Your Life
• How to Promote a Fundraising Campaign
• Email Marketing: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Sending Better Emails

 

Thanks for reading, and happy gift-giving season!

Meredith Caccese McConvill, Top Rope Media

Marketing Costs for small businesses and non-profits who want to outsource

 

One of the first questions a potential client asks us is, “How much will our marketing costs be if we work together?” This is because spending conservatively is more important than ever for small businesses and non-profits. 

We know this well, as we’re not only a small business, but we’ve also been supporting mom & pop brands in outdoor recreation, travel, and action sports for over 20 years.  Tight budgets, limited staff, rising costs, and competing priorities can make it difficult to spend on things like marketing and advertising, especially when you are just trying to stay afloat!

 

Marketing can often feel like both a necessity and a luxury.  You want to be smart, cost-effective, and gain expert support without the overhead of a full-time employee.  But how much should you spend, who should you hire, and what are the trade-offs?  Let’s dive in!

 

In this blog, we’ll cover the following:

• Benefits to Outsourcing Your Marketing
• How To Determine Your Marketing Costs
• Who Could You Hire and What Should You Expect to Pay
• What Services are Included in Your Marketing Costs

 

benefits to outsourcing your marketing 

 

When you outsource, you’re hiring external professionals, freelancers, or an agency to handle some or all of your marketing needs. This frees up your time to work on other projects.  Marketing tasks an agency or freelancer can handle include:

• E-Commerce management
• Content creation, videos, graphics
• Paid advertising
• Email marketing
• SEO and search engine marketing (SEM)

 

For small businesses and non-profit organizations, outsourcing some of your marketing needs provides flexibility and access to specialized skills without the commitment of a full-time salary or benefits.  Before we move on, if you’re curious about working with a small agency like ours, take a peek at our marketing services and pricing!

 

 

How to determine your marketing costs

 

In order to figure out what your marketing costs might be, whether you are a bike shop or a tour operator, start by deciding which marketing tasks you can continue doing easily and which ones you need to offload.

 

Taking a look at the marketing services listed above, which are you most comfortable continuing to manage?  Which ones do you need help with?  If you’re a one-man or one-woman show, it’s critical to be honest with yourself about the amount of time you can dedicate to marketing.  Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

 

• Are tasks like daily social media management or sending weekly email newsletters something you enjoy?
• Do you have the time to manage these tasks?
• Should you be spending your time elsewhere where it is of more value to your business?

 

For example, if you are an executive director at a non-profit organization, you should not split your time between managing fundraising and marketing tasks.  Instead, you should be out having meetings with big donors, making phone calls, and pitching corporate partners to bring in high-dollar gifts!

 

Who Could you hire and what should you expect to pay?

 

There are four main options for small businesses and non-profit organizations who want to outsource some or all of their marketing:

1. Connect with a Freelance Marketing Specialist
2. Hire a Digital Marketing Manager (full-time or part-time)
3. Hire a Marketing Agency
4. Work with a CMO or Marketing Consultant

We’ll review each below.

 

1. Connect with a freelance marketing specialist

 A freelance marketing specialist is Ideal for individual tasks like blog writing, social media management, or graphic design.  Expect to spend $700 – $1,500 a month for a good freelance marketing specialist.  Sites like Fiverr, Freelancer, or Upwork can help you find freelancers in your price range.

 

Best for: One-off projects or small ongoing needs
Pros: Affordable, flexible, specialized
Cons: May lack strategic guidance or availability for fast turnarounds. May need to share your logins and passwords with a complete stranger.

 

 

2. Hiring a Digital Marketing Manager

As a small business or a non-profit, you may be ready for a full-time or part-time digital marketing manager.  As long as you can provide the overall marketing strategy and structure, your digital marketing manager can handle things like social media management, copywriting, email marketing, and website updates.  Marketing costs for a full-time digital marketing manager range between $55,000 to $85,000 a year here in San Diego, California.

 

Best for: Regular, ongoing support
Pros: Can work independently on projects once given direction
Cons: Expensive and will require standard employee benefits and compensation

 

 

3. Hire a Marketing Agency

What about hiring a marketing agency?  The benefits include a better ‘package deal’ where you can add on more services, you’ll have more resources at your disposal, and more experience in tough areas like SEO.

However, hiring an agency to manage your marketing costs between $850-$4,500 a month, which might be steep for a small business or non-profit.  Of course, these costs can be as high a $20K or more, depending on your goals and your budget!

 

Best for: Regular, ongoing support
Pros: Can offer a package deal, provide access to resources, and has more experience
Cons: May require a larger upfront investment or a long-term contract

 

As an example, at Top Rope Media, we work with many small businesses and non-profits on a monthly retainer to help them manage their marketing needs, such as SEO, email marketing, and paid advertising. 

We allow for flexibility in the marketing services we provide each month; you’ll never pay for something you don’t need, and we do not require a long-term contract.  Read more about our marketing services and get a range of pricing here!

 

4. Work with a CMO or marketing consultant

Thinking a CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) or marketing consultant might be better suited to help your small outdoor brand or non-profit grow its wings?  A Marketing Consultant or CMO, whether part-time (often called a fractional CMO) or full-time, can build you a comprehensive marketing strategy, define your KPIs, and lead your outsourced team.  This is the perfect choice if you do not know where to start.  However, their services do not come cheap. Expect to pay between $150-500/hr for a marketing consultant.     

Best for: High-level support and startups
Pros: Great for audits or company restructuring
Cons: Will not execute and dig into the details, expensive, and not invested in your business long-term

 

So, while the short answer to “What will our marketing costs be?” is ‘it depends’, these key choices above will help you narrow things down. Below, we’ll address a few other areas you’ll want to think about when you search for marketing help. 

 

What services are included in your marketing costs 

 

As a small business owner, when you search for a service you need, you want to know early on how much it will cost.  However, when you start your search for marketing help, you may feel like you have reached a ‘gatekeeper’.  They will not give you the pricing details, but are more than happy to set up a sales call.  Grrr…this can feel incredibly frustrating.

If you’re wondering why there’s such secrecy in marketing costs, this is because an agency may not want its competition to know its pricing.  Or, they may feel like they could be leaving money on the table if they provide you with upfront pricing.  As we loathe those sales calls as much as you do, we’ve created a Services & Pricing page to give our customers a better idea of their marketing costs if they decide to work with Top Rope Media.

 

To further complicate marketing costs, several services fall under the marketing umbrella.  Prices will range greatly depending on the services you need.

 

First, let’s talk about what should be included in your pricing.  Your typical marketing manager, freelancer, or marketing agency should be expected to perform the following tasks:

• Social Media Management
• Content Production and Blog Writing
• Email Marketing
• Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Paid Social, and Google Advertising

 

A big plus if they also have experience in the following areas:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Graphic Design
• Photography + Videography
• Web Development
• Public Relations

 

final thoughts on marketing costs for small businesses and non-profits

 

Now that you have a better idea of what your marketing costs might be if you outsource and what they include, you are ready to take the next step!  Remember to ask lots of questions.  Become familiar with the current marketing trends and platforms before you bring someone in to manage them for you.

 

If you’ve got a question, drop us a line and let’s navigate the marketing wilderness together!  Lastly, if you’re seeking more tips on do-it-yourself digital marketing, check out these posts:

• Best Email Marketing: Improve Clicks and Open Rates 
• How to Use Your Website to Generate Better Leads
• 8 Steps to Kickstart Your Online Advertising with Facebook and Instagram

 

Until next time, happy marketing friends!

Meredith, Top Rope Media

 

how to grow your Social Media and gain more followers

 

One of the most common questions we’re asked is how to achieve social media growth and gain more followers.  It’s become more challenging than ever to cut through the clutter and gain the attention of your potential customers.

And, since we generate many of our leads from social media channels like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter, we continue to improve our social media strategy each year.  What worked in years past may no longer be generating the same engagement, impressions, or likes. So we’re going to show you how to change up your strategy to continue growing!

 

The quick + Dirty way: Why we don’t buy followers

 

Before we dive in, If you are looking for an easy way to gain followers and engagement, and have some room in your marketing budget, we got you covered.  In our steps below, we share how to more quickly achieve growth by spending on Instagram ads or promotions. 

However, since we often get the question about social media growth as it pertains to Instagram follower counts, we wanted to emphasize why we do not buy followers or use 3rd party apps to help grow on Instagram.

Instagram began cracking down on those that buy followers, create fake accounts, and accounts using 3rd party apps to generate likes and comments.  In addition, Instagram is quick to flag or suspend accounts that violate their terms of service.

So while buying likes and follows could be the fastest way to grow, you put your account at risk of being deactivated.  Don’t take our word for it.  Read more on experiments gone bad from our friends at Hootsuite.

Finally, we also urge you to think about the reason you want to reach 25K or 250K followers on Instagram. 

•  Is it just a vanity metric? 
• Do you believe those bought followers will visit your website? 
• Will they buy your products or services? 
• Share your stories on their social channels? 

Sadly, they will not do any of this.  So, here’s ways that actually work!

 

Best Practices for social media growth

1. Post AND ENGAGE on the social media channels where your audience spends their time

 

First, make sure you are posting + engaging on the social media channels where you have the best chance to connect with those interested in your non-profit, outdoor, or lifestyle brand.  Not sure where that is?

Well, start by defining your audience.  As an example, we tend to attract non-profit leaders, startups, and small outdoor + lifestyle brands without a marketing department.  Therefore, we make most of our connections via LinkedIn, but also on Twitter and Instagram.  

Need a refresher on how to best use social channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter?  Read our last blog!

Keep in mind, this may not be where YOU spend most of your time.  You may have deleted your personal Facebook page in 2016!  Instead, think about where your target demographic spends most of THEIR time.

Not sure where to find this information?  Look at your website’s analytics, or better yet Google Analytics, to see where you acquire your website visitors.  The data may surprise you!  Need more help?  Drop us a line! 

 

2.  Plan Out posts with a content Calendar

 

Now that you’ve outlined what your brand’s personality is, write out your posts for the month using a content calendar.  You can also use your Content Calendar to track the following:

• Email campaigns
• Blogs for each week or month
• PR campaigns
• Product launch dates
• Events + holidays

Yes, we know you have a calendar already, maybe two!  But adding all of these items to a separate Content Calendar makes it easier for everyone on the team to stay on the same page when it comes to what you’re posting and promoting, and when.

Select a weekly theme.  Or have certain days reserved for different types of content- sales, blog shares, or sharing curated content from like-minded brands or leaders in your industry!

Don’t use a Content Calendar yet?  Get started by downloading our Content Calendar Template below!

 

3. Write authentic content that showcases your brand’s personality

 

The best practice for what to post on social media begins with remaining true to your brand’s mission and values.  You can’t ‘stay on brand’ if you’re not quite sure what your brand stands for these days.  

Dial-in the persona that showcases your brand’s personality. 

• Is your outdoor brand or non-profit fun and playful? 
• Super into design or fashion?
• Trail running or camping?
• Do you always have your dog in tow as your co-pilot?  

Remember, this may not necessarily be YOUR personality.  But, that of your brand.

If you will be using these posts across several social media channels, change up the copy slightly for each.  Do not post the same exact content on as you do on Tiktok as you do on Instagram or Twitter.  Links, videos, image size, copy style, and @ mentions will not work across all channels in the same way. 

And that Tiktok logo in the corner of your Instagram video?  Yeah, you can do better.

Pro tip: Videos and posts with multiple images will perform better than a static image almost every time.  Therefore, read our blog on how to take better photos!

4. what to post + how often for better growth on social media

 

Best practices for how many social media posts are needed each week varies widely depending on the social network you are using.  And how much time you or your team have to dedicate to this! 

If you can post everyday, great!  We do not recommend posting more than this, unless you are posting to Instagram Stories or Twitter.

We break up our posts, and our clients’ posts, into the following categories:

• 50% sales (advertising services or products)
• 30% curated content
• 20% just for fun! 

This mix can change depending on what our marketing strategy is that month.  Are you running a sale, or hosting a fundraiser?  If so, that should take up more of your content!

 

 

example: what to post

• 2 posts per week that focus on your brand and drive traffic to your website.  Advertise your products, services, case studies, or blog posts.  Not enough content on your website fill these posts?  Well then read How to Use Your Website to Generate Better Leads!
• 1-2 posts per week that share curated content.  So for Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, this might be a post that links to an article that you loved or found helpful.  Expert advice from an industry leader.  Something that provides value to your followers.  Remember to always give credit to the source you are linking.  This also helps them recognize you as a trusted name or expert in your industry.  
• 1 post per week that’s just for fun.  Fridays and Sundays are great days for this!  Showcase what happens behind-the-scenes, or your latest adventure.  Just be sure to stay true to your brand and personality!

example: how to Curate Content on Instagram

 

As we mentioned earlier, with Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, you can easily share content you curate like articles you think your readers might enjoy.  With Instagram, this becomes more challenging as you can’t share links in posts.

However, you can save Instagram posts that you love, and reshare them, creatively, in your Stories.  Here’s how:

• Click on the flag in the lower right corner under the posts you like and want to reshare in your Instagram Stories.
• Once you’ve selected all of the posts you like throughout the day or week, go to the upper right corner of your Instagram Profile Page and click on the Instagram menu to get a drop-down of options.
• Click on ‘Saved’ or flagged posts and here’s where you will find all of your saved images.
• Here you can also create Collections to further organize the images.
• Then, you can then repost these in your Instagram Stories, creating a theme by topic, product, color, sport, etc.
• You can add a link, yes, regardless of follower count, you can now add a link to bring people right to the website or article to learn more or shop!

Bam!  Beautifully-curated content ready to share each week!

 

5. When to Post

 

Besides what to post, the next question we get asked to improve social media growth is what days and times are best to post on social media. 

Your potential clients and customers might be on social throughout the day.  Here’s steps to take to determine when is best to post for your non-profit or outdoor brand:

• Determine when your followers are most active by looking at your social media analytics.
• Days with typically the best engagement: Sundays and Tuesdays
• Best times to post: 7-9am most days

Keep in mind that some posts, based on the content shared, may do well regardless of the day or time you post!  And the opposite is true.  If something newsworthy trumps your post that day, you may not get as much love.

 

 

6. Schedule Your social Posts

 

The best practice for social media growth by far is to schedule your posts.  This saves you time and therefore, money.  We love using Hootsuite to schedule both our posts for Top Rope Media and posts on behalf of our clients.  Why?  Some days we may have 15 different posts going out on 4 different social channels!

However, even if you are just using LinkedIn or Instagram, scheduling your 3-4 posts per week will help you stay consistent.  Social networks love that.  Read more on how we’ve helped brands getting started with scheduling posts!

 

Next, once your post is scheduled, check that is posted correctly.  For Instagram, add locations, tag brands, partners, collaborators as you cannot do this in Hootsuite.  And lastly, engage on behalf of your brand when your post goes up.  Like, comment, or share the post or similar posts in your Stories!

 

 

 

7. create more engaging content

 

Engagement is worth more on social media than likes or follows.  By engagement we mean your readers are:

• clicking on your links in a post
• visiting your profile page
• Adding a comment
• Sharing your post in their feed or Stories

How do you figure out what posts are getting the most engagement?  First, take a look at your Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook Analytics, or Instagram Insights.  Pay attention which posts not only have good reach but good engagement.  Not seeing much?

Take a good look at the content you’ve been posting.  Can you create more engaging posts?  Need more ideas on how we do it?  Ask for help!

 

Now then, when you do get a comment, message, or DM on social media, respond promptly to keep your response rate up as well! 

 

 

8. begin Social Listening + engage

 

A great way to write more engaging content for social media is to listen and engage with your audience.  Social ‘listening’ involves reading what people are saying about your brand, product, service, or industry online.  Are you creating content that addresses their issues or answers their questions?  Learn more about how and why we follow the They Ask, You Answer philosophy.

How do you listen well? 

• Set up a Google Alert
• Follow your brand’s hashtags, and also ones that align with your brand
• Listen to your competition.  Follow them on social.  Sign up for their email newsletters.  Add them to your Facebook Page Watch list!
• Read your industry publications!!

 

And what do we mean by engage?  Like, comment, share relevant content that you love and you think your audience will love too!  Apps like Instagram give you more love, and show more of your content to others when you spend more time on the app!

 

9. run ads + promotions

 

If you want that extra boost, and can afford to pay to play, run ads or promotions on your social networks!  So instead of paying $25/month to some 3rd party sketchy Instagram growth service to boost your followers or likes, pay Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn directly to do it for you!

Using Facebook or Instagram Ads can help you:

• Generate more brand awareness
• Get more donations for your fundraiser
• Increase the amount of followers on your social accounts
• Build more engagement
• Sell more products! 

Get step-by-step instructions on how to run ads on Facebook or Instagram.

 

10. Update your Bio and Profile Links

 

In this ever-changing world, the copy you wrote last year for your Instagram profile or LinkedIn bio may no longer be relevant.  As a best practice, update your bio or social profile every quarter. 

In addition, put promotions and discount codes in your social media bios.  For example, “Save 35% this holiday season by using code MBHOLIDAY35.”  This could easily fit in your Instagram profile.

Update your profile link often.  Especially on Instagram.  Examples: If a client’s content theme for a certain week focuses on summer activities, we may change the link to share a blog post where readers can learn more about how to prep for summer.  If we want to encourage more appointment bookings, we might swap out the main website link for the appointments link.  You get the idea.

Why take these extra steps?  Because you want people to find what they are looking for in the least amount of steps.  If you only have your homepage linked in your profile, and you just launched a new blog, how do your readers get to it quickly?

If you say ‘link in bio’ and it only directs people to your homepage, do you think they will take the time to click the link in bio, then find your blog page, then find the right blog you were speaking of?

Lastly, you can use tools like Linktree with Instagram to share several links under one profile link.

 

11. Use Emojis in your social posts

 

Use emojis to help break up text or to emphasize a point you’re trying to get across.  In this world of constant scrolling, a campfire or a monkey covering his eyes could catch your reader’s eye more than just text!

12. use Hashtags to help with social media growth

 

Everything can’t be #instagood.  Therefore, do some research on which hashtags are trending within your industry.  If you do not already have a hashtag for your brand, create one!  Or, take a look at what your brand ambassadors or competitors are using.  You can also view your post Insights on Instagram to see how many likes you get from your hashtag use!

What platforms do hashtags work best on?  Instagram and Twitter.  You can use up to 30 hashtags on Instagram, and as many as you want on Twitter.  However, as Twitter is limited to 280 characters, so keep your tweets to 2-3 hashtags!

Where should you put your hashtags?  After your copy.  We often separate our copy with line breaks and drop the hashtags so they are out of view, especially on platforms like Instagram.  Get the full scoop on Instagram hashtags from Hootsuite!

 

13.  Sell Through your Social media channels

 

If you use Facebook and Instagram and have a separate store on Shopify or WooCommerce, you can easily connect your store and sell directly through Facebook or Instagram, or people can complete their purchase on your website.

 

14. work with brand ambassadors + content creators

 

Work with content creators and ambassadors to help you create more brand awareness for your products or services!  If you haven’t read our blog on Finding the Right Brand Ambassadors– get on it!

At Top Rope Media, we think of working with content creators, which is the more PC term now as opposed to ‘influencers’, like backpacking.  To get the best results, to see the most beautiful and untouched terrain, you have to plan.  Prepare.  And, be willing to walk – a lot!

It takes time to find and build relationships with the right content creators or brand ambassadors. So be patient, and think long-term.  You’ll find the investment is worth it when your ambassador is connected with your brand for years to come.

 

 

15. Evaluate Your Post Performance

 

If you are not reviewing your social media analytics each week, you could be missing out on some great insights into your customers.  Set an alarm or add a meeting to your calendar each week to review your Google Analytics, along with your social media metrics.

 

Still not seeing steady growth?

• Switch up the days and times you are posting
• Engage on the network- this means spend time on it liking, commenting, and sharing other posts you find compelling!
• Change up the type of content posted (hint: add more videos or multiple images!)
• Upgrade your phone for better photos, use a camera, or buy a GoPro!

 

final thoughts on Social media growth

 

One of the biggest reasons to continue posting on social media for your brand is that shopping habits have changed tremendously!  In addition, there is a growth in online spending not only from Millennials, but Gen X, and Baby Boomers alike.

What are millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers purchasing through social media?

• Apparel + Accessories- Clothes, shoes, anything to save us from having to go to the store!
• Health + Fitness- gadgets, sneakers, yoga pants, swimwear, you name it.
• Jewelry- especially hand-crafted unique pieces
• Beauty + skincare products

 

And which social channels can you reach these Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers?  Well, 67% of millennials are on Instagram, and 75% of baby boomers are active Facebook users.  9 out of 10 Gen Xers are on Facebook.

slow and steady Social Media growth takes practice

We’ve covered a lot of ground, but here are the top takeaways for growing your social media presence:

• Create videos and share multiple images in posts
• Use a Content Calendar and schedule that content using a tool like Hootsuite
• Be an active ‘social listener’ by following hashtags, creating Google Alerts, and pay attention to your competition!
• Engage on the social network you want to grow on by liking, commenting, and sharing relevant content
• Work with brand ambassadors or content creators
• Run ads or promotions in combination with your organic posts for that extra boost!
• Upgrade your phone, work with a professional, or learn how to take better photos

 

Thanks for reading and happy posting!

Meredith McConvill

 Facebook and Instagram Advertising

 

Is your Facebook or Instagram reach, engagement or follower growth no longer increasing?  We hear this a lot from clients lately.  Well, Facebook and Instagram advertising is the best way to help you boost all three!  And this blog will teach you how to set up Facebook and Instagram ads, what to spend, and how to manage each ad.

So if you want to grow followers, launch a new product for summer, or generate better leads for your shop, let’s go!

 

Why Facebook and Instagram advertising?

 

The answer to this question is simple.  With nearly 3 billion users so far in 2021, the potential reach of Facebook advertising is unprecedented.

Not compelling enough?  In addition to Facebook, Instagram boasts over 1 billion active users worldwide. 1 BILLION!

However, do you need to make a stronger case for the boss?  Or your Board of Directors?  Well then here’s more:

• There are over 22 billion ad clicks per year

• 60% of Instagram users say they find new products on the platform

• Ability to reach 1,000+ people for as little as $5 a day

• Read more about Facebook’s success stories

 

Making Purchases on a smartphone is Increasing

 

More people are doing business on their smartphones.  In 2020 there were almost 300 million smartphone users in the United States alone!  And the average person spends up to 3.5 hours chatting, texting, scrolling, and shopping.  Your customers are here.  And not just your current customers, but also potential new customers.

The average person spends up to 2 hours on social media each day.  Some up to 4 hours per day!  So while you should be also be running email marketing campaigns, print and in-store displays, apps like Facebook and Instagram are a great place to reach people where they spend their time.

Are you not directly in charge of social media or advertising?  Do you want to work with a freelancer or an agency?  Well, even if you’ve hired an agency to support your latest summer promotion, this will help you better understand how ads work.  And, what you should be asking of your agency in terms of metrics and analytics!

 

No Longer Using Facebook?

 

Now you may be a bigger fan of Instagram or LinkedIn.  And you may have shut down that Facebook account long ago.  If so, that’s okay.  We work with clients to use all of these platforms concurrently to sell their products or services.

However, using a Facebook Business Page to set up and execute both your Facebook and Instagram advertising will make life easier for you.  Or your digital marketing manager!

Things to Keep in Mind on Your Facebook and Instagram Advertising Journey

 

Paid advertising is not the answer for everyone.  Heck just building out an Instagram Reel each week may seem like too much.  Therefore, here are some things to think about:

• What is already working for you?

• Does this support your overall strategy & goals?

• Do you have the time and resources to dedicate to paid advertising?

• Are there other things you could be doing?

 

STEP #1: start at the facebook and Instagram advertising TRAILhead

 

Now, you may have dabbled with boosting a post.  But today we will walk you through organizing everything to run a successful campaign.  That trailhead begins on Facebook, which is the platform you will use to set up all of your Facebook and Instagram advertising.

Before starting off down the trail, make sure you have ‘packed’ the essentials for your trip by completing the steps below.  We promise, it will save hours of back-tracking.  So take the time to set up your accounts correctly.

Facebook and Instagram Advertising Setup

• Set up a Facebook Business Page and Facebook Business Manager

• Set up an Instagram Business and Connect Your Instagram Business to Your Facebook Page

• Create and Install a Facebook Pixel

• Set up an Ad Account in Facebook
  

 

STEP #2: OUTLINE YOUR STRATEGY or marketing objective

 

So now you’ve packed.  Got the essentials.  And you are starting off down the trail.  Next step?  Think about what is your overall strategy is for this particular advertising campaign.

Ensure it aligns with campaigns you may be running via email, on your website, in-store or at events.  In Ads Manager within Facebook, the 1st question asked when creating an ad is what is your marketing objective.  

Options for Your Marketing Objective

1. Brand Awareness– reach people more likely to be interested in your product or service and grow your following
2. Reach– reach the maximum amount of people
3. Traffic– send people to a destination off Facebook- like a website or an app
4. Engagement– get more post engagement, page likes, event responses
5. App Installs
6. Video Views
7. Lead Generation– gather email addresses through a contact form
8. Messages– send you a message through Facebook Messenger
9. Conversions– track clicks, add to cart or sale completions
10. Catalog Sales– show items from your online shopping catalog
11. Store Traffic– drive visits to your physical store to people who are nearby

There’s an info icon next to some of these options where you can learn more about which objective is right for you.  For this exercise, we will use Traffic for our Facebook and Instagram advertising.

Keep in mind, you must have the Facebook Pixel installed correctly on your website.  In addition, you can also track an event.  Maybe ‘Add to Cart’ or a completed purchase.

At this point you can also select A/B testing or Campaign Budget Optimization.  We’ll skip this for now.  Just click continue using Traffic as our main objective.

 

If you see the option for Dynamic Creative, we suggest using it.  With Dynamic Creative, Facebook will help you by automatically generating creative combinations of your headlines and descriptions to better suit your audience.

 

 

STEP #3: Select your audience

 

You should be feeling good right about now.  Scrambling down some rocky terrain.  But, you have nailed down your setup and your marketing objective.

Choosing the right audience is an essential part of every Facebook and Instagram advertising campaign.  For this exercise, we’ll select the San Diego County market.

Got a brick & mortar shop?  Use your physical location.  Then, set the audience to be 10-15 miles from that location.

You’ll notice Facebook shows you the potential reach right away, including daily reach results and estimated link clicks.

Dial in the Demographics

 

As the location alone is too broad for Facebook and Instagram advertising, start dialing in your demographic.  You can do this by age and gender.  Language.  And finally the interests of your target audience.

In the example below, we’ve selected mountain biking.  However, you can dial this in to people employed by mountain bike companies. Or those with bike mechanic as their job title.

Next you can set up exclusions, or narrow your audience. In addition, you can also create a look-alike audience.  There are so many options.  So, if you’re feeling like you need an expert, just holler!

DROP US A LINE

Example: Ski Resort promotion

 

So let’s say I’m in charge of marketing at a ski resort in Utah.  I’m tasked with running a Facebook and Instagram advertising campaign to target Southern California.  My ski resort offer skiing and snowboarding, and then mountain biking in the summer.

First, I would add more locations to the campaign below and include the following counties in Southern California:

• Los Angeles, Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, Palm Springs and Santa Barbara counties

Second, I can narrow my audience:

• Must show an interest in mountain biking, but also must show an interest in skiing and/or snowboarding.

Now my audience is more specific.  Once you dial this in, save this audience for future advertising!

 

STEP 4: SHOW YOUR Facebook and Instagram Advertising in the right places

 

When it comes to advertising, spend your budget on the channels that are already driving traffic to your website.  How do you find out which one is performing best?  Use your Google Analytics.

Maybe you have a great following on Instagram already.  And a good amount of website traffic from this channel.  In that case, select to have your ad shown on mobile devices only, as that’s where most people use Instagram.

Keep in mind, Facebook will be selected by default.  However, you can let Facebook select the placements for you to optimize your budget.  This way your ads will be shown to more people in places like Messenger or the Audience Network.  Or, you can select the placements manually.  Maybe Instagram Stories is your best best. 

STEP 5: SET YOUR BUDGET AND SCHEDULE

 

What’s fantastic about Facebook and Instagram advertising is that you can start small.  Start with and advertising budget of $5 a day.

Next, choose the ad to run during the hours most of your audience is on line.  Lastly, select an end date.  We typically run ads in 2-3 week increments.

In this section, you will also select what you’d like to optimize for.  Whether link clicks, impressions, reach or landing page views.  We’ll choose link clicks.

 

step #6: get creative with imagery and engaging Ad copy

 

FINALLY!  It’s time to upload individual assets like images, headlines and link descriptions.  Did you select dynamic creative?  If so,  Facebook will generate multiple ad variations and deliver the ones that perform the best.

Before you start pulling random images, and word-smithing your go-to tag lines, have you looked at your Facebook and Instagram analytics?  What posts are performing best?

Now dig into those posts, and check out what types of images you’ve used, and what copy you’ve written.  We keep an asset list for all clients of what images and which copy we’re using, and what’s performing the best.
 

If you work within Google Ads, this is automatically done for you and can be viewed under the asset details of each ad.

Using Video to Capture Attention

 

Want to use a video for your Facebook and Instagram advertising, but do not have room in your budget?  Use Facebook’s video creation templates to bring movement into your ad.  Or, take that Instagram Reel you just built, download it to your phone, and use this for your ad!

More reasons to use video:

• Videos get 1,200% more shares than text and images combined

• Your brain processes visuals much quicker than it does with text

Below are just a few of the creative pieces we built for ads for our client Stella Labs.  All using Facebook’s video creation template tool:

Dynamic Creative, Word Count and Call to Action

 

Once again, if you’ve selected Dynamic creative then you can add up to 5 different options for each section: Primary Text, Headlines and Descriptions.  We prefer this option. It gives us a chance to test out a few different headlines and see what performs best.

Pay close attention here to how many characters or the word count that will show on each platform.  If you have selected to only show this ad on mobile devices, keep everything short.  25 characters or less.  

 

In addition, make sure your Call to Action is appropriate for the ad copy.  Best options include Sign Up, Book Now, Learn More, Shop Now and many more.

Want to see what your ads will look like? Well with Preview, located on the right side of your ad screen, you can see how your ad will look across any channel you’ve selected.

Here’s how our ad copy for Mister Brown’s Barbershop looks across Facebook on Desktop, Mobile, Instagram Feed, and Instagram Stories:

 

STEP #7: STAY INVOLVED AND TRACK YOUR PROGRESS FOR YOUR FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM ADS

 

Just like you wouldn’t spend a bunch of money on a new bicycle, just to let it sit in your garage, make sure after you click confirm, you stay engaged. Both Facebook and Instagram ads will go through a review process.  This could take a few minutes to a few hours. 

No money will be spent during this ‘learning process’.  In addition, you will receive a message in your Facebook account and via email when your ads are approved and running.

Facebook and Instagram Advertising Not Approved

 

Your ad may not be approved if it does not meet Facebook’s advertising policies.

 

One of the biggest issues we’ve seen is when there is too much text in the ad imagery.  Other reasons could be language used.  However, you can edit your ad and resubmit until it is approved.

 

Again, check up on your ad daily.  Especially if this is your first time using online advertising.  Or if your ad will only be running for a few days, say for a holiday sale.

 

step #8: review your analytics and tweak your ad campaigns

 

Although instant success stories happen, most businesses will need to tweak their campaigns to succeed.  That’s why Facebook provides complete statistics on every ad you place.

In Ads Manager, you can view your results live, while the ad is running.

Example: Bike Product Ad

 

The analytics below are from our client Kradl’s Facebook and Instagram advertising.  Their product is a bike lift that does not use electricity, nor ropes and pulleys, to lift your bike to the ceiling.

 

A Kradl through this promotional ad costs $110 each.  This was a discount of $40 off the regular price.  In this ad set, it has cost us $23.59 for each purchase we received over a 6 week period.

 

If this works within our client’s budget, great!  We will continue to let the ad run, or increase the budget.  If it does not work, we review the copy, images and the audience, and dial that in until we get a better result.

 

Keep in mind, you may never get the results you desire.  Furthermore, through this process, you may determine that advertising on another channel, like Google, is more cost effective.  Have patience throughout your testing

 

 

quick Tips to Run Facebook and Instagram Ads Like a Pro:

• Define your goals and marketing objectives with your team.

• Start with a small spend- $5 a day type small, and get familiar with the system.

• Evaluate and pause ads that are underperforming.

• Put more $$ behind successful ads and manage your budget like a hawk!

• Tweak your personas and audiences.

• Hire a photographer or videographer.  Fill in with images from Adobe Stock or Unsplash.

• Not familiar with Illustrator or Photoshop?  Use Canva for graphics or Facebook’s Video Creation Templates to create videos and slideshows!

• Spell-check!  Also, check your grammar and hyperlinks.

• Create a good call to action.

Next Steps for Facebook and Instagram Advertising

By now you should have a great understanding of Facebook and Instagram advertising.  Need help getting started?  Or want us to create and manage your paid advertising?  Drop us a line!

Also, check out other posts we’ve written about social media and paid advertising:

15 EASY WAYS TO CREATE HIGHER CONVERSIONS USING FACEBOOK ADS

 

 

To learn more about what we do on the regular, follow Top Rope Media’s adventures on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

 

Until next time,

– Meredith McConvill