If you want to keep your customers excited about your brand even when you are closed for the season, you're going to have to get creative with your photos. You don't want to only share photos of last season, so get their attention by showing them what your company looks like during the off-season. This could mean before and after photos of your businessgiving customers a look at your business outside of how they normally see it. Take advantage of Instagram's 15-second video feature to thank your customers for a great season. Use different filters to keep your photos interesting, or use apps like PicFrame, Diptic and Photoshake! to creatively combine a few great photos into one.
Another way to engage seasonal customers year-round is to highlight fan photos from the past season. Ask your fans if you can share their photos of your brand on your Instagram account. Not only will it help your brand's reputation as others see its popularity among peers, but it will also provide an incentive for others to post their photos in hopes that you will highlight it as well.
To get your customers excited about the new season, make a big deal of your re-opening by starting weeks in advance. Create an editorial calendar of the things that will happen in preparation for opening day, and make sure you take photos during every stage. Post behind-the-scenes photos of your employees getting excited, or create a collage of photos of several new products on the shelves. Use a unique hashtag for your photos so your loyal followers can stay up-to-date on your brand.
While it may be easy to forget about social media when you're closed for the season, there is a great opportunity to excite your followers about your brand during this time. Instagram is a perfect platform to engage your seasonal customers year-round through posting past and present photos of your brand. Remember, you do not need to post on Instagram five times a day, but keep your photos frequent and creative in order to catch the eyes of your followers.
Want to learn more about using Instagram for your business? Come to our next Social Media Seminar on Thursday, June 12 at Machias Savings Bank in Brewer! We'll even throw in powerful insights on using Pinterest for business, too! RSVP online today! Also, be sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay up to date on our latest news and events!