Social media continues to mature into an essential tool to influence customers' purchase decisions. During the holidays, brands that depend on sales to close out the year successfully turn to social media to impact e-commerce. With an estimated $650 billion coming out of consumer pockets in November and December, an 8% increase from last season, the real test is how marketers can harness the power of social media and use it as a key component of their sales strategy and customer engagement efforts.
In order to capitalize during this crucial time, brands should implement social media campaigns that cross channels and follow consumers through the purchase process. After surveying more than 120 digital marketers on their holiday strategy, Offerpop found that 62% of them are focusing their holiday efforts solely on increasing e-commerce. Don't know where to start? That's OK! Here are a few tips and concepts you can implement:
Think mobile: Mobile commerce grew by a whopping 80% in 2013, and continues to be a key portal for purchases. Social media efforts can support website sales, so first off, make sure your website is responsive to mobile customers. Then deliver discounts, coupons, and host sweepstakes on channels that mobile users frequently visit like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 71% of social media users access social networks on mobile devices, therefore creating seamless campaigns that deliver special offers or connect to purchase sites quickly and effortlessly is essential.
Focus on UGC: Pair holiday campaigns with user-generated content campaigns that allow brand ambassadors to tell your story and share your products using their own content. The content is genuine and trusted by consumers, and let's be honest...everyone wants what their friends have or want, too. Encourage fans to create, submit, and share content pieces that will engage their networks with your brand. Use fan photos with easy-click purchase buttons to allow customers to shop based on their friends looks and recommendations.
Strategize to capitalize on notoriously big shopping days: Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the week leading up to Christmas are huge opportunities to encourage purchases from your social fans and followers. Offer Twitter followers a free shipping discount for Cyber Monday by Re-tweeting to unlock a special code, for instance. Make sure to build tools and content you can use as teasers leading up to campaign launch.
Bet on Facebook: Our survey found that 92% of digital marketers plan to spend the majority of their holiday marketing budget on Facebook. The network's active user base encompasses 72% of U.S. adults, giving digital marketers an opportunity to influence a majority of holiday shoppers on a single platform. Allotting ad dollars and encouraging product purchase through Facebook could be one of the most impactful decisions to your bottom line.
Email still works: Don't discount email just because every year someone steps out and say it's "dead." It isn't. Email has the power to promote social campaigns and connect new audiences with your channels, and vice versa. Email can give mobile users quick and easy options to click through and buy. Its ability to cross channels for fans and increase engagement makes it a great compliment to social campaigns and e-commerce efforts.
Social media's power to increase profits during the holidays is growing as marketers and brands unlock more direct ways to influence sales through multiple networks. Effective social marketing is now a mandatory element of all successful holiday marketing plans. Retailers simply will not be as successful during this critical sales time if they do not invest in targeted and effective social media programs geared for commerce.