We all know that Christmas is just around the corner when we see the Coca-Cola advert on TV. John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, M&S and many more all invest millions of pounds on their Christmas campaigns and, as we’ve seen yet again this year, they really do go to town with it.

There’s a reason for this. Whether your business is product or service based, December is the final push of the year and a lot of consumers are out there looking to spend money. Your business should be looking to harness that.

More importantly, if you’ve been using social media this year, you’ll want to get involved with your customers and the festive spirit and do something a bit fun to mark the merriest of seasons. It’s a great way to remind people you’re there too.

• First of all, with a Christmas campaign you need to think visually. It’s much easier to engage people with a photo or video than text, so think about creating a Christmas board on your Pinterest site, or doing an advent calendar of images on your Twitter and/or Facebook page. The great thing about Christmas is there’s plenty of inspiration about.

• One of the most important things to remember is to base your campaign around something. So for example, perhaps you’ve made a Christmas video, or an electronic elf-yourself e-card for your customers. Get this out early and use your social media channels to direct people to it. It’s a fun, creative way to wish people a Merry Christmas and keep you in their minds for the New Year.

• Keep an eye on the seasonal hashtags being used this year and join in some of the bigger conversations. And don’t forget the power of stories! What’s happening in the world of business for you that makes you smile? What narratives can you tell? Whose good news can you share? Think stories for a seasonal wow factor this Christmas.

• Lastly, never under estimate the power of emotions. It’s no surprise that John Lewis are pulling at the heartstrings again this year with their penguin ad. What are the feelings and emotions that connect you with your customers? Tap in to this for added impact.

• Most importantly you must always remember the social media golden rule. Don’t try to hard sell to your customers. Having a Christmas offer on is fantastic, but don’t let it be the only thing you’re talking about. Get those conversations going about Santa and work on building relationships with new and current customers, it’s proven to be more successful!

Before you know it Christmas will be upon us so, help to make the festive spirit huge and get your Christmas campaign live today!