Whether you produce images, articles or blog posts, it is vital that your content remains topical. In the lead up to Christmas this is especially important, as festivities are likely to be in the forefront of most consumers’ minds. Try to include festive phrases in your social media posts and produce seasonal images for your website and newsletter. It is also a good idea to create holiday hashtags for your twitter and instagram or you could simply use existing and popular ones that are trending to strike up a conversation with potential customers (#stockingfiller #12daysofchristmas and #lastminutegifts are always popular). Wishing your followers a Merry Christmas with an e-voucher is a nice touch or creating a video showing how to easily gift-wrap your product is helpful and shareable. Finally, remember asking questions is a great way to engage your followers on social media, a seasonal example could be ‘what’s top of your Christmas list this year?’.

When you put up your tree at home and hang your tinsel at the office, don’t forget to also decorate your website and social media. There are many simple ways to add a seasonal twist, where possible and appropriate, using phrases, images and video. Try to avoid anything that doesn’t fit in naturally with your business persona; you want to ensure that your seasonal-themed touches are relevant and make sense for your brand.

Don’t stop producing content over the Christmas break, it is a time when social networking sites see a surge in user activity as most people enjoy a break from work. This doesnt mean you need to be tweeting and “on the gram” on Christmas Day, remember there are lots of free scheduling apps and websites out there that allow you to plan your social media and email newsletters ahead of time.

We discussed internal PR in another recent blog post where we essentially concluded that keeping your staff happy and loyal is the best way to improve your employee relations. Consider what you could do for your staff this year as a Christmas gift or celebration; presents, parties, bonuses and time-off are all gratefully received.

We also recently wrote a post about how to work on your PR locally and Christmas is a great time of year to increase your visibility and improve your reputation within your local area. There are usually lots of fund-raising events, charity raffles and community fairs at this time of year, if you can sponsor, donate or assist with these activities it can be a great way to become part of your local community and gain coverage for your business at the same time.

If you have a major announcement to make within your business that isn’t seasonally focused, it is probably a good idea to leave the sharing until the busiest weeks of the year are over. We suggest that the distribution of business news should be completed either at the beginning of December or in the New Year, otherwise you may get lost in the noise of the festivities. Don’t forget, journalists also wind down for the holidays!