Marketers flooded social media on the first day of fall with engagement-driven posts, but their efforts mostly fell flat due to a lack of originality. 

Social media has erupted with content associated with the autumn season, as marketers embrace a strategy of trying to make their social media posts timely and relevant. However, with brands constantly incorporating national events and holidays into their social feeds, it borders on being overkill and to ensure the method?s effectiveness, marketers should determine which happening goes best with their brand.  

?Conversations on timely events, such as seasonality or holidays, are worth chiming in on, so long as they are relevant to the brand,? said Kelly Wrather, senior manager, content, for Kenshoo. ?For example, if a fashion retailer launches a new fall fashion line, then using social ads to promote it on the first day of fall makes sense. 

?However, for a financial services company who doesn?t run a start of fall special, it probably does not make sense to invest in trying to participate in the fall seasonal conversation,? she said. ?It is also important for brands to examine their historical data to understand if a seasonal or holiday event has been a significant driver of conversions. 

?Similarly, brands should use this data in forward-looking forecasts to determine whether budget adjustments for future events will create greater opportunity and ROI.?

September 24 marked the first day of the autumn season, and marketers flocked to social media platforms to partake in consumers? excitement for the day. However, with the onslaught of brands involved, many marketer?s efforts are being disregarded.   

Brands need to focus serving relevant content that will standout amongst the excess content. 

For instance, Loft tweeted an image of cozy autumn wear and offered $20 off sweaters to celebrate the day. The photo of a product that consumers will be interested paired with the discount can incite significant engagement and drive sales. 

Dunkin? Donuts shared an image of a coffee cup with colorful autumn leaves emerging to form a heart with text reading ?we?re in love with everything fall. Happy #firstdayoffall.? The video coincided well with the brand, as many consumers enjoy its seasonal products and grabbed attention with an artful display. 

Cracker Barrel also shared an image of a few of its seasonal products for autumn. The photo consisted of an item filled with whip cream and cinnamon, enticing users to want to engage with the brand and stop by its location for the treat. 

However, US Today promoted its various articles while attempting to incorporate it into the first day of fall missing the mark. The publisher shared an irrelevant story regarding Blake Shelton discussing his divorce, while simply stating it was the first day of fall. This comes across as a brand attempting to get involved with something consumers enjoy with the sole reason to get recognition and this type of social media content is ineffective. 

?Truly compelling visuals have become increasingly important in driving social conversions,? Ms. Wather said. ?Brands should spend the time to create unique visual elements for their campaigns, ensuring they fit the specifications for each publisher, as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc., all offer different ad sizes/formats. 

Additionally, refresh creative frequently and test multiple variations of images and calls to action to determine which resonate with consumers the most,? she said. ?Finally, brands should create tailored ads for as much one-to-one messaging as possible to reach consumers with messages that engage them on a personal level.?