Jay Revels outlines four ways brands should reach out via social media this Easter, to make the most of the holiday retail spending period.

Whether or not you’re in the chocolate business, Easter can be a busy time for a brand.

Over the extended holiday period, consumers increase their spending on food and beverages, dining, alcohol, fish and seafood, sugary confections and travel expenses. In fact, Easter spending in Australia is around $3 billion in total. Combine that with the increase in smartphone use and mobile shopping, and advertisers are in a great position to capitalise on holiday trends.

Here are four ways to boost your campaigns come Easter, for any industry or vertical.

1. Ask yourself: is your brand relevant?

While it’s widely accepted as a public holiday in Australia, Easter is traditionally a religious holiday and therefore it pays to consider whether your brand can add authentic value to this conversation.

Think about whom your target audience is, your current customers, and whether creating a campaign around the holiday would add value or be disingenuous. What sector are you in? What product or service are you offering? What are your audience demographics?

If Easter isn’t the right fit, consider whether aligning with other major events and international holidays would deliver value to your audience. Does your audience comprise US citizens living in Australia who would appreciate a Thanksgiving celebration? Might your Kiwi neighbours appreciate Waitangi Day recognition?

Ultimately, thought-out creative that’s executed well far outweighs opportunistic messaging. Your brand is much more likely to win hearts and minds by respecting the intelligence of the audience.

2. Rush hour: strategic posts

Long weekends provide opportunity to test out new creatives and smaller campaigns through social. Consider ‘road testing’ a micro version of a larger campaign or dropping hints of a larger creative to come over the long weekend to whet appetites.

Pushing to social through weekends has become a routine for many brands, but it can be forgotten on long weekends, when behaviours may alter from usual weekend activities. Some will take the liberty of a sleep in or heading out to brunch, suggesting between 10am and 11am are the best times to upload something to Facebook and contribute to the conversation. Others may relax in the afternoons, so consider whether a 3pm or early evening update could broaden your reach.

LinkedIn is likely to be quiet over the long weekend (unless job hunters are taking the long weekend to connect); so, look at how you can amplify Twitter between 11am – 12pm over the long weekend. Twitter’s audience responds to real time events with vigour; so consider whether a team member is well placed to scan the platform before posting for greater impact.

3. Partner with a brand to deliver value

If chosen well, partnering with a like-minded brand can be the cherry on top of your campaign. Consider delivering value to your customers by teaming up with a brand that has an Easter theme relevant to your message and values.

And speaking of chocolate – providing little sweets with a purchase can lift both brands’ campaigns. Get creative and reach out to appropriate brands ahead of Easter that would suit your brand as well as theirs.

The questions you should ask yourself are: Is this brand targeting the same audience? Will we add value to their customer base? You should find a happy medium to attract and reward customers in mutually beneficial ways.

4. Rally a team of brand ambassadors  

Brand ambassadors are hugely impactful when engaged well. Before taking on an ambassador, make sure they’re the right fit, on brand, and genuinely interested in collaborating with you.

Establishing a team of ambassadors who share the same values, messaging, and aesthetic as your brand can be a brilliant tactic when engaged creatively. Bloggers, Instagram influencers, YouTube or SnapChat personalities who have built a following based on their authenticity and creativity can provide direct access to audiences relevant to your product and offering.

If you understand your audience, what media they consume, and how they find new information – and if you’re able to identify influencers who have a dialogue with the community you’re looking to engage – you’ll be well positioned for a successful campaign.

Jay Revels is the Managing Director at Marin Software APAC.