Learn from the best social media posts of 2022

Each week we round up the best social media posts from across the UK. See who's coming out on top and copy the winning moves for yourself. The tips and tricks are easy to replicate for any business no matter the size. Don't forget you can compare your social media performance with any brand using Maybe*

December 2022

It’s Christmastime, so naturally content featuring delicious treats is dominating our feeds. This recipe post from M&S is a great way to add value and lure customers in with a cracking cover image. It serves up some festive joy and is an engagement win for M&S from followers eager to try their recipe - freely given, which is where the added value lies for their customers.

Try it for yourself

Have you got any festive tips you can share on your feeds? Perhaps you have a favourite cocktail recipe, perhaps you are really good at Christmas crafts. Maybe you’ve got some great suggestions on keeping warm and cosy this winter. Try thinking about what you can tie into your content to give your followers that little bit extra this Christmas, and see what that does to your engagement.

 

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A post shared by M&S (@marksandspencer)

Getting in on the giveaway action on social media this Christmas can lead to some fantabulously festive engagement. Giveaways don't need to be as generous as this one from New Look, but theirs is a great example of how to keep things short, sweet and most importantly, straightforward to enter.

Try it for yourself

If you're planning on running any festive giveaways, here's some key things to remember:

  • Make it easy for your customers to get involved, just as New Look have done - a tag in the comments and a follow is a great idea.
  • Make your closing date nice and visible, don't lose it in your caption.
  • Include robust T&Cs, and refer to them in your caption. Don't forget that while you can share links in posts on Facebook and Twitter, links are not clickable on Instagram, so signpost followers to your bio or Stories instead.

 

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A post shared by New Look (@newlook)

Quick and easy crafty ideas always go down well on social media, and this festive step-by-step from Flying Tiger is no exception. It's a short, sweet and topical post that can be easily shared across their channels and by their followers, too. They've also pre-empted questions by sharing some of the products used, and are signposting their customers to their website for more info.

Try it for yourself
Sharing ways your customers can use your products is a great idea when it comes to social content. Flying Tiger's DIY is Christmas-themed, but it's something they can utilise across the festive period, and in years to come, too.

If crafting isn't your bag, can you share some styled shots of your products instead? Think about how your customer will enjoy your product in their day-to-day, and try creating some content with that in mind.

November 2022

Possibly the most engaged Instagram post of all time? This advert for global clothing brand Louis Vuitton featuring footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi playing chess on a suitcase, has achieved astonishing levels of engagement.

It's a hugely evocative image. The two footballers have paused in their journey (could they be off to the World Cup, perhaps?), for an impromptu game of chess; as focussed on their game as they are their football. The staging of the photo is deliberately moody, with the light capturing their faces, hands and the chess pieces.

The two footballers shared the image on their own social accounts, as well as Louis Vuitton's, which proved to be a master play in engagement - the combined total of likes across those accounts is around an incredible 76.6million, and counting.

Try it for yourself
Timing is everything here. Louis Vuitton have timed their advert to coincide with the FIFA World Cup, when thoughts will naturally turn to football, even if you don't tend to follow the game in your day to day.

Sharing is so important, too. Granted, the majority of businesses won't have the budget to draw in footballer's salaries, but the more eyes you can get on your posts, the better. It says a lot that the bulk of the extraordinary levels of engagement for this advert came from the footballers' accounts themselves, not just from Louis Vuitton.

 

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A post shared by Louis Vuitton (@louisvuitton)

Covent Garden are definitely fully embracing the festive season. They've put together a lovely Reel for their Instagram feed, where they've shared some snippets from their Winter Warmer Festival. This should entice their customers and lure them in with promises of some delectable festive treats...

Try it for yourself
As Christmas content starts to fill our phone screens, creating fun - and short - videos to share on your feed are a great idea. Try taking 1-2 second clips of a handful of items, festive features, or behind the scenes preparations. Share them as Reels, Stories, or both - have some fun with it!

Christmas is firmly on its way, and for retailers, this means the return of their festive ads. More retailers than ever before have either teased or posted their full advert on their social channels, and M&S is no exception. Their Christmas Food ad featuring comedy duo French & Saunders is a lighthearted counterpart to their main (adorable) festive advert, and it's gone down deliciously well with their followers.

Try it for yourself
Have you got anything special planned for the festive season? Plan your seasonal posts into your content as early as possible, so that you can build excitement and share the joys of the upcoming season with your customers. If you're teasing release dates of seasonal items, be sure to make use of Stories and Reels, as well as your main grid.

 

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A post shared by M&S (@marksandspencer)

October 2022

Jewellery brand Pandora have recently launched a new range of charms, in collaboration with Marvel. This launch has offered up tons of great inspiration for the brand and they created a series of posts as part of their announcement. With themed captions - using Spider-Man's catchphrase, and fun Reels featuring the little gems getting up to all sorts of superhero type antics, they certainly upped the ante in the engagement stakes.

Try it for yourself
Have you got a product launch coming up? See if you can infuse some fun into the way you talk about your launch, through the content you put out. Mix it up with Reels, carousels, static posts and Stories. Enjoy yourselves, a new product is always exciting, after all!

 

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A post shared by Pandora (@theofficialpandora)

Visit Sheffield have given us a bit of a master class in celebrating all things place. The organisation have rounded up five positive news stories from the week celebrating the best Sheffield has to offer across food, tourism, the arts and music. Each story had a post earlier in the week in its own right, but the round up post has greater impact, giving multiple 'pride in place' moments.

Try it for yourself
Think of regular round up posts as the social media equivalent of a Sunday paper supplement. They provide multiple things to do for your followers, more reasons to get excited and draw more attention and footfall to the best your place has to offer. Give it a go!

After two years of seasonal events cancelled or operating at a reduced capacity, 2022 marks the return of the holiday season in full force. Silverburn's Halloween fun fair kicks things off with a fright night twist. The shopping centre have used Instagram Reels showing off all the fun of the fair from multiple angles and perspectives so you get a sense of the buzz and excitement. Use this approach as you start to think about how to bring your Christmas events to life.

Try it for yourself
Let shoppers in on the action. Instagram Reels allow you to stitch videos and images together to make one piece of content so capture any footage and photos that show off what you've got going on and have a go. Add some music and emojis for a little more fun. It's easier than you think.

Ikea have come up with three alternative uses for one of their chopping board products. From bookends to laptop trays and a tiered kitchen storage solution, the Instagram Reel post gives customers ideas and inspiration for how they could use the product in multiple ways. In the process they've also given customers multiple reasons to buy.

Try it for yourself
Instagram Reels are increasingly being prioritised for reach in your audience's feed. This means video content is more likely to be seen. You can create your own Reels to show customers how they could use your product to give them multiple reasons to buy. Reels allow you to add your own music and creative flair. If you are camera shy, let your products shine and stay behind the camera.

 

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A post shared by IKEA UK (@ikeauk)

Fortnum & Mason's window displays and in store merchandising are world renowned. This terrifying toad, while scarily realistic, is actually sweeter than you think. It's made out of chocolate! Fortnum's know that their displays are a talking point. People will make a trip to the iconic Piccadilly store to see them. Social media gives them an opportunity to share their creations further, increase post engagement, and most importantly, inspire more visits.

Try it for yourself
Your shop window is just that. In exactly the same way a window grabs attention in the street, it will have the same impact on social media. If you're seasonally decorating ahead of Halloween, Diwali or Christmas, make it a showstopper and share it on social. Not only will people want to comment and like it, they might even want to pop down and see it for themselves. If it's really special, they may take their own photo and share it on their own social media, doing a bit of social marketing for you and increasing your visibility further.

 

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A post shared by Fortnum & Mason (@fortnums)

September 2022

Marks and Spencer's Christmas spread is now available in stores and it looks delicious. The annual rush to order turkey and the trimmings is well underway. M&S announced the news with multiple mouth-watering images of what customers can expect to add to their festive feast for 2022 while the post copy set expectations on availability and where to find out more. Anticipation is already peak. The comments are flooding in with customers already asking whether their favourites are part of this year's offering.

Try it for yourself
The time to start messaging Christmas is now. Start teasing what food, gifting and partywear favourites you have to drive excitement. Make sure your images and videos have a little sparkle to them and use the post captions to be clear on what is available, when things will be in stock and if you're an online business, those all important last order dates.

 

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A post shared by M&S (@marksandspencer)

Camden Market are readying us for that chill in the air! The quirky but iconic market have rounded up their best of Autumn's essentials getting us all excited for the change in seasons. The video opening gives you a sense of place and time of year and then its off to the retailers for a browse. All the retailers and their location are tagged into the post increasing the likelihood of it being shared. 

Try it for yourself
Season changes, Halloween, and dare we say it, Christmas party season are on their way! Get out in front of this with video posts that round up what you have to offer. It could be outfit inspiration, home decor ideas, or seasonal menu options. Spiced Pumpkin Latte anyone? Tag in your suppliers, other businesses and tenants to get more eyes on your post.

High Street stationery business The Works teamed up with a mummy influencer to help them with their Back to School campaign. The influencer filmed her kids showing off all their new school swag. Not only is it impossibly cute but it also gives everyone a real view of what is available at The Works for under a tenner. The beauty of this post is that by partnering with an influencer, the post is also shared with her audience. The Works stand to benefit from this by reaching a whole host of customers who follow the influencer.

How you can give it a go
When deciding whether to work with influencers, it's important to find out what the expectation is on budget and what they will create and post for you. Choose an in influencer who is likely to have the same type of audience you'd like to reach.

Now you might not have the budget to partner with an influencer but you can still work with another business or even local press to co-create content. Is there a business that complements yours but that is not a direct competitor on your High Street? Why not reach out. The important thing with any partner is that you have shared goals and that the arrangement is mutually beneficial.

 

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A post shared by The Works (@theworksstores)

August 2022

Pandora are famous for their enormous collection of bracelets and charms. New products, themed beads and limited edition items frequently get their customers flocking to add to basket. Pandora are really good at having a charm or collection for every occasion and every type of hobby or interest. This post appealed to the pooch and pup loving customer, and was timed to perfection to coincide with International Dogs Day.

How you can give it a go
There is a national or international day for pretty much everything. You can grab a calendar of them all by googling 'International Days'. This will help you theme your social media content around topics people will likely already be talking about, and yep, you've guessed it already 'engaging' in. It's an easy win, so give it a go!.

 

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A post shared by Pandora (@theofficialpandora)

Innocent's social media team are really not that innocent. They always bring a cheeky sense of humour to their posts. From taking the micky out of their boss, to encouraging office banter, posts that come from Innocent HQ always give you a sense of what it is to work there. In fact there's as much behind the scenes content as there is product content.

Innocent show us that social media does not need to be all work and no play. Relatable memes, office related jokes and dry humour really give you a sense of the personalities and people behind the brand. They also happen to sell great juices.

How you can give it a go
People buy from people. As an independent business, customers really want to invest in you and not just what you sell. So help people get to know you. Silly humour and witty banter go a long way.

 

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A post shared by innocent (@innocent)

Asda have given us quite the treat this week. Not only have they crafted an awesome social media post with a little life hack, but they've also inspired us to give it a go.

At a time where people are concerned about spending money and wasting food, Asda have tapped into this in a fun, creative way that's got everyone talking.

How you can give it a go
Asda have tapped into people's interest in life hacks and created content relevant to their audience and their products. You can do this too. Invite customers to share their own hacks for reducing food waste, saving money or replicating their favourite takeaway meals at home. It's bound to inspire discussion. Give it a bash!

 

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A post shared by Asda (@asda)

As England's Lionesses stormed to victory in the Women's Euros, Specsavers got in on the action with this mocked up billboard. The tweet was timely, relevant and unmistakeably on brand with the eye test twist on "It's coming home". The social team made sure to add existing hashtags to ensure they were part of the Euro's conversation.

How you can give it a go
Work with the noise, not against it. Joining in conversations about topics people are already talking about will help your content cut through on a busy news day. The sporting calendar is choc full of opportunities for businesses to join in and put their own stamp on an existing conversation.

Why not post a simple congratulations or good luck message to support local or national teams? Or take it one step further and find a creative way to put a twist relevant to your business on it.

July 2022

Fitness fanatics Gymshark responded to research that showed men are more comfortable opening up about their mental health and challenges they face, to their barber. The brand have opened a barbershop where men can open up. To get the word out they've teamed up with a men's mental health charity and online content creators. The initiative raises awareness of the mental health challenges men face while providing a real solution to a real problem backed by real action.

How you can give it a go
Sharing the causes your business supports and cares about on social media tells customers who you are as a business and what you stand for. People want to support businesses whose values align with their own. But authenticity is crucial. Your words and social media posts should always evidence action. Whether you are fundraising, donating profits or hosting events, make sure you demonstrate how you are walking your talk.

So we had a heatwave for a handful of days, the kids have broken up and summer is in full swing. But in the world of retail things move fast. Bath and Body Works are one of the businesses on the High Street already making a spooky song and dance about Halloween. Think it's too early, think again. It pays to plan.

Customers are loving the head start on Halloween if the likes, comments and shares are anything to go by, and the business benefits from this. Not only are they increasing the conversation and comments about them, which is great for visibility, but they will be beginning to gain an understanding of the tricks and treats likely to sell well for them.

How you can give it a go
You may not want to decorate your entire social media feeds with Halloween content, or autumnal tricks and treats just yet. But it's not too early to tease what's to come. Customers love something to look forward to and being first in the know. Try sharing a few sneaky peek posts of what's coming down the track for your business and your product line to get people talking, and get an early read on what products and services will sell well for you next season.

Temperature's rising, barometre's getting low. According to all sources, the street's the place to go. Except its not because its too hot out there. And The Range know that. To help customers hack their way through this stifling heat, they created a totally topical TikTok that they then shared to Instagram, with a few hacks to cool things down a bit.

The post checks all the boxes for being timely and relevant. It increases awareness and interest in The Range's product lines, and by inviting customers to share their own hacks, The Range have encouraged commenting and conversation among their community, helping them further increase reach.

How you can give it a go
A problem shared is a problem halved. The Range have tapped into people's interest in life hacks and created content relevant to their audience, the time and their product range. You can do this too. Whether it's heatwave hacks, recycling tips, DIY solutions or beauty tutorials; sharing a solution to a common problem, and inviting conversation will help you build a rapport with customers online. Give it a go!

 

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A post shared by The Range (@therangeuk)

As the annual drama on Wimbledon's Centre Court unfolded there was a chance for shoppers and tourists in London's West End to get in on the action. Covent Garden installed a big screen where people could gather for a spot of Pimms and strawberries while enjoying the tennis.

Covent Garden and other shopping centres regularly provide entertainment and installations that offer shoppers other things to do while they are visiting. Sharing the activity on social gives the customer extra reasons and increases spend at the destination's Piazza, benefitting the businesses in the area. They get extra points for providing activities that people want to take pictures of and share on their social media feeds, increasing the reach of the event and activity further.

How you can give it a go
When big sporting and pop culture moments happen, join in the conversation. You don't have to have huge budgets or an enormous screen. You might have a themed window display, or a themed menu. Your contribution to the chatter could simply be to ask people who they are rooting for. The important thing is to remember it should be something people want to get involved in, or want to share on social media so make it interesting. Whether its Love Island or Wimbledon, its easy to strike up a conversation on topics people are already talking about and are interested in. Give it a go and see if your comments, likes and shares increase.

Where there's a supermarket scandal, there's an Aldi way. As the cost of Lurpak butter hits the headlines, Aldi were quick off the mark to remind customers of their lower price point alternative. You can always rely on Aldi to add a well humoured and well intentioned response that gains traction in terms of comments and retweets.

How to replicate
As the cost of living rises and has a very real impact on households, it is important to get the tone of your pricing messaging right. In Aldi's case, the dry humour and speed of reaction lands well as it is on brand for them. Other retailers might prefer a gentler approach pointing out cost savings or promotions. However you choose to react to news around the economy, make sure it is appropriate for your brand, and for the audience you want to land the message with. If it doesn't feel authentic to you and your business, then its probably not right.

June 2022

Glastonbury re-opened its gates to festival goers for the first time in two years last week. And of the festival's headliners, this post from Billie Eilish's set scored the festival the most engagement. The moody, close up image gave followers not at the festival a view of the action and those who did attend, a chance to reminisce. The image does the talking with a simple caption noting the artist and the stage they performed on, alongside the #Glastonbury2022 hashtag.

How to replicate
Big events like Glastonbury get everyone talking so even though it might not be relevant to your business, use occasions like this to engage followers. Maybe you sell festival or music related product, maybe you just enjoyed a performance and want to ask your followers what they think. And if that's not right for your business, simply take a leaf from Glastonbury's book and let show stopping images do the talking for you.

It's Independent Book Shop Week, and north of the border Scotland are celebrating a year of stories. This post by Visit Scotland combines two relevant events to rally the content around. The image invites you to discover a bibliophile's paradise and lose yourself among a labyrinth of books while the post copy makes use of local and bookshop related hashtags, crediting the photographer and the bookshop featured to share the love!

How to replicate
Theme your content around national and local events to increase your relevance and engagement. There's a whole host of national and international days (you can google lists of these) that you can plan for. From hard hitting charity and social causes to support through to the more random 'talk like a pirate day' you'll find something timely you can engage followers with.

Aldi are up to it again and setting tongues (and tails) a wagging. The supermarket is set to launch an ice cream for your pooches. To announce the Labrador friendly lollipops, there's a woofingly wonderful video over on Facebook. Customers are rushing to share pics of their pups in the comments online; and desperate to load up their trolleys offline. Perfect product, the talk-ability factor and cutesy content makes for a winning combination of engagement, sales, and happy hounds.

How to replicate
If you've got product you know people will love and be desperate to get their paws on; make sure your social media content is just as impactful. Look for creative and relevant ways to make your mark and go big with the tactics that will stop the scroll.

Well this is New is an Instagram account that rounds up the best of novelty and newness across retailers in the UK. It's a simple premise that has amassed 54,000 followers who love to have their say on what's coming to market. The comments are laughter inducing and at times blunt - yikes. But this presents an opportunity for retailers to lean into those uncomfortable conversations and find out what's working.

How to replicate
Regularly posting about new products and inviting discussion gives you immediate customer feedback. Customers love sharing their opinion, the good, bad and the ugly. But be brave, you'll learn something and build a sparkling rapport with your customers.

May 2022

Boohoo know their customers love a bit of celebrity culture. In the last week they’ve posted two celeb news stories - Rihanna’s had her baby and Kourtney Kardashian got married both racking up engagements in the tens of thousands.

Boohoo have a customer base that is young, fashion forward and influenced by celebrity. By creating content that celebrates their audience's favourite celebs - they rack up easy engagement by being relevant and jumping on trending conversations.

How to replicate
Knowing what other brands or interests your customers have will help you easily identify content and topics they are even more likely to engage with. It doesn't have to be celebrity goss if that's not right for your brand, but play around with re-sharing content from news outlets, lifestyle brands and influencers you think your own audience will love.

 

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A post shared by boohoo (@boohoo)

BoxPark are getting a new venue in an indoor space called BoxHall. BoxPark is famed for combining retail with entertainment, art and dining, giving people a reason to visit for something unique that involves shopping and experience. it’s new venue, BoxHall opening Summer 2023 is set to bring together emerging and established indie food outlets, catering to city dwelling foodies and London’s visitors.

This post was shared by all of its sites who have their own social media accounts as each site, while part of a family, also has its own identity and offering. This premises will open in an old entrance to a train station and the post tags in Transport for London who have plenty of reach with Londoners and tourists.

How to replicate
There are plenty of opportunities to create a long build up and get people invested from the off even if you’re not opening for another six months or a year.

If you’ve got a new premises opening social media is a great way to announce it and also detail how it will be new and different to drive excitement. Regular progress updates will continue to build intrigue alongside regular tagging of partners and vendors to amass a bigger audience.

 

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A post shared by BOXPARK SHOREDITCH (@boxpark)

April 2022

Asda make it their business to celebrate their team on the regular. Anytime a team member goes above and beyond for a customer, you'll hear about it on social media and see the engagement soar. People love acts of kindness and positive news stories and can't wait to comment and share them.

How to replicate
Share the success of your team and celebrate your people. Recognising your team in a public way speaks to your values as a business and demonstrates everybody matters.

M&S have taken their famous chocolate biccie and smooshed it together with an Easter Egg and come up with something in between.

Launched on social media, voiced over by Dawn French and soundtracked with the trademark M&S TV ad music, the bisc-egg or egg-scuit has social media hyped up and leading the Easter engagement stakes.

How to replicate
New twists on old classics for key seasons is a sure fire way to get your own social media audiences talking about you and tagging their friends. No doubt many a hot cross bun shopper will be intrigued to pick up and try one of these for something familiar but different among the usual Easter egg hoard.

 

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A post shared by M&S (@marksandspencer)

March 2022

Primark are a long time social media favourite at Maybe*. We love this post that lends a fashion forward edge to introduce the key trends for Spring.

The post invites customers to vote and comment on their favourite colour trend with multiple image posts.

How to replicate
Asking customers to comment with their opinion is always going to get social media tongues wagging. Using their feedback helps you gauge what content is likely to perform best, if you know your customers are head over heels for lilac, then you can be sure they’ll love to see more content about that, and be inspired to visit your store and pick up a few of the featured items.

 

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A post shared by Primark (@primark)

Fortnum's have launched a rapid delivery service shipping Fortnum’s favourites direct to the doors of Londoners.

The delivery services is available in London to doors within six miles of the Piccadilly store in under two hours. To announce and create a bit of intrigue into the service, Fortnum's have installed a 'Fortnum's' blue' delivery bike in the store so curious shoppers can find out more..

Fortnum's have chosen Supper London, a luxury delivery service over the likes of Deliveroo or Just Eat as its more in line with their own brand positioning.

How to replicate
Whether its delivery services or a stockist, ensuring your brand experience is woven through all touchpoints customers will have is a win for you, your partners and your customers. Just make sure to tag your new partners into your post to double up on reach and engagement

 

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A post shared by Fortnum & Mason (@fortnums)

Cath Kidston generate engagement by introducing key team members from the store environment and in Head Office. Followers are invited to pose questions to the team members via stories. For businesses like Cath Kidston with a cult following and a distinct brand, it also gives diehard fans a sneak peek behind the scenes.

How to replicate
Introducing your team and people helps customers get to know the people behind your business, giving them a chance to see the passion that goes into it.

 

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A post shared by Cath Kidston (@cathkidston)

February 2022

Liverpool Football Club scored a social media high celebrating a winning goal. Sports teams whether national or local present an amazing opportunity to unite communities online and offline around a common passion, which often translates to place.

How to replicate
Keep your eye on the sporting and pop culture events driving conversation online and create content that celebrates success. Rally around your local sports teams in your place as its the perfect way to show you're invested in your community.

Missguided celebrated Twosday on Tuesday February 22nd 2022 with a killer comp and social media post. The post offered up a £2222 cash prize, and to continue the Twosday theme, invited followers to tag their BFF.

How to replicate
Theming competitions around popular culture or events increases relevance. Inviting followers to tag someone else in, increases the reach and engagement on your posts.

Relative lingerie newcomer, Bluebella set pulses racing on Instagram. Their content can frequently be found in the best social media posts. As well as sumptuous and sexy styling, Bluebella is famous for its inclusive celebration of all shapes, sizes, skin tones and genders, and puts self-love firmly at the heart of everything they do.

How to replicate
Confidence and authenticity are key. Make sure your social media posts convey what you stand for, who you stand for, and fearlessly stand by it.

Who said romance is dead? There’s no harm in using seasonal events like Valentines Day to offer competitions around. And who doesn’t love flowers. B&M invited customers to comment when they last received flowers to be in with a chance of winning.

The mechanic to enter gives people the chance to vent and tell funny stories, all of which B&M can engage with and reshare or use to create conversation among the community.

How to replicate
Valentines Day competitions are an easy way to make this seasonal event accessible and inclusive to everyone.

January 2022

Pop star and all round heart throb Harry Styles is going on tour and there was a teenage scramble for tickets. Lidl were quick off the mark and got in on the action and conversation. Referencing the star’s hit single Watermelon Sugar High, Lidl playfully pointed out to those disappointed fans who didn’t score tickets that Watermelon and sugar are both available at Lidl. . .

How to replicate
Keep your finger on the pulse of what's going on in the world of pop culture. It's an easy way for you to create relevant and topical content.

Boots got in on the Veganuary action last week by featuring cult skincare favourite, The Ordinary.

Veganuary may traditionally be something supermarkets and restaurants can get on board with, however skincare and beauty brands also have the opportunity to maximise their cruelty-free or plant based offerings at a time of year where customers are doubling down on the self care and lifestyle changes.

How to replicate
Be aware of relevant hashtags, awareness days/weeks and months as well seasonal moments like Veganuary. They offer businesses a chance to create and theme content around things already top of customers’ minds. 

 

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A post shared by Boots UK (@bootsuk)

The travel industry has been the hardest hit by the pandemic and ongoing changes and restrictions. As news emerged that Boris Johnson hosted a party (or work meeting depending on whether you accept the official line or not), while the country were following government rules, Ryanair upped their social media game.

The outspoken approach was witty, pithy and wry and earned the airline tens of thousands of engagements, as they took aim at the PM and wider government. Ryanair get the tone right with this one - pulling punches in a humorous way but in a way that accurately captures the mood of the public.

How to replicate
Knowing whether to enter into a political fray online and how to go about it as a business is down to you and how you want your brand to be perceived. Whether you go for humour or a hard line stance, its a bold move. Ask yourself whether its relevant for you to comment and make sure your social media team are prepped to handle any comments and engagement you receive off the back of it.

Nike continue to spotlight both professional and grassroots community sports clubs and athletes from across the globe. The featured team in this post hail from Japan and the post celebrates a local marathon in Tokyo.

With these posts, Nike continues to feature real people who share the brand’s passion for sport and wellness. At the same time they champion global sporting communities in an inclusive way, rather than just focusing on elite performance athletes.

How to replicate
Focus on the people who use and delight in your product and services so that customers recognise you as a brand which is for them and includes them.

 

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A post shared by Nike (@nike)

M&S won Christmas hearts on social media in the week leading up to Christmas announcing on Instagram its store colleagues, customer care team and social media team would be offline and at home with their families until December 27th.

Like 2020  when supermarkets opted out of trading Boxing Day to give their teams chance to regroup, M&S went for a similar approach for Christmas 2021. While contracted staff made up the hours elsewhere or could take it as leave, the foregoing of a Boxing Day sale start when down well with the public earning over 54,000 likes for the business.

How to replicate
People continue to look to businesses to show they treat their colleagues, especially those on the front lines, fairly. Make sure you are showing up for and championing your people.

 

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With the Maybe* platform, you don’t have to be a social media pro to increase traffic and sales.

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? Grab yourself a Maybe* account and join the conversation. It's a powerful but easy to use social media management platform that helps you increase traffic and sales.