The pandemic might have had an effect on Boxing Day sales over the past few years, but things are looking up! Compared to the previous year’s figures, Boxing Day sales rose by over 50% in 2022. If trends continue, it could mean a rise over even pre-covid numbers going into the 2023 season.
For retailers who want to cash in on the expected rise in shoppers, it’s important to be ready and advertise to customers where they spend their time. In today’s digital world, that place is social media! Here are five tips to help you run a successful Boxing Day sale on Instagram.
Design eye-catching ads
There are millions of posts uploaded to Instagram every single day. What does that mean for marketers looking to stand out? There’s a ton of competition. If you want users to pay attention to your ads, they can’t get lost in the sea of posts. They need to catch your followers’ eyes as they scroll.
You can’t just post a cellphone picture of your latest product and hope for it to make a splash on social media. You need to take the time to design professional-looking ads. Of course, you’re busy running a store; where are you going to find the time to design eye-catching ads from the ground up?
Luckily, there are thousands of free templates for Boxing Day retail ads online. Simply choose the one that best fits your brand, fill in your sale information, and you’re ready to post.
Start your promotion early (but not too early)
When it comes to holiday ad promotions, timing is everything. You want to start your marketing campaigns with enough time for people to be aware of your sales and mark their calendars, but you don’t want to start too early and annoy everyone — especially when it comes to Christmas-season holidays.
Most marketing professionals suggest starting your Boxing Day ads a few weeks before Christmas. That should give you enough time to run a few ads and keep your sale top-of-mind without being too early. Once December hits, it’s time to start your Boxing Day sale Instagram marketing campaign.
And once your campaign begins, be sure to create regular posts for your Instagram feed. Instagram users consume so much content on a daily basis that it’s easy for them to forget a single post. But if you make regular posts every couple days or so, it makes it easier for your followers to remember your sale.
Host a contest or giveaway
The problem with social media is that only your followers can see your posts. If you want more people to see your advertisements (and you do), you’ll have to reach out beyond your followers. And one of the best ways to do that is with a contest or giveaway.
Nobody can resist a giveaway! For example, you can offer a free product or gift card to your store for one lucky follower who likes, comments on, and shares your post. By encouraging your followers to share your post on their feed, all their followers will see your ad too, effectively extending your marketing reach!
You can make the contest or giveaway prize whatever you like. But just remember, the more exciting the prize, the more engagement you’ll get.
Boost a few ads
Speaking of extending your marketing reach on Instagram, boosting an ad is another great way to put your Boxing Day sale information on more feeds. By paying a few dollars, Instagram will push your ad to targeted users all over your area.
With one boosted post, it’s not uncommon to reach thousands of new viewers who wouldn’t have seen your post otherwise. Yes, it costs some money, but it’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to extend your marketing reach on social media.
Go live
Everyone’s looking for the best deals when Boxing Day comes around. When the big day arrives, you can encourage people to come to your store by going live on Instagram.
Going live is exactly as it sounds: It’s a live broadcast that all your followers can watch in real time. You can showcase the deals, products, entertainment, crowds, or whatever else you’d like to get more people through the door. It’s also a great way to showcase your personality and engage with your audience.
You can even go live the night before Boxing Day as you’re setting up the sale to show your followers what they can expect. This builds excitement and will hopefully encourage more people to come out and see all your amazing deals for themselves.
Bring in more sales this Boxing Day
You already know your deals are the best. Now it’s time to show them to the masses! A few weeks before the big day arrives, start promoting your Boxing Day sale on Instagram with well-designed ads, a contest or giveaway, some boosted ads, and maybe even a live video or two.
With a well-timed and well-designed ad campaign, this year’s Boxing Day sale might just be the biggest yet!
