Holiday Shopping Getting Boost With Social Media
For retailers, it’s usually the most wonderful time of the year, but with consumer spending down because of the recession, businesses are looking to social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to draw in more holiday shoppers. Deloitte recently released its 24th Annual Holiday Retail Spending and Trends Survey. They questioned over 10,000 consumers and found that 17% planned to use social media during their holiday shopping.
Big Brands Market Using Social Media
Best Buy recently started a Twitter based holiday marketing drive based on a virtual consumer service team called Twelpforce. Staples, Inc. released its Black Friday ad on its Facebook and Twitter pages. JC Penny’s is using its social media pages to draw customers to its holiday sales and contests.
New Way To Reach Customers
Social media is a tool that customers are flocking to for information. Although the majority of users are 18-29, the Deloitte Survey found 33% of users are age 30-44 years old and 12% are 45-60 years old. The survey also found:
- 60% use social media to find discounts, coupons, and sales
- 53% use social media to research gift ideas
- 52% use social media to check gift wish lists of friends and family
Growing Trend
As more customers look to Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to shop, businesses will find more ways to interact with them using their social media tools to continue to make the holiday season the most wonderful time of the year.
The above data seems interesting, but why do I always seem to be doing the opposite to everyone else?
For years I have gone on line to do all my Christmas shopping, believing everyone else must be crazy to go out in the crowds. Also feeling I was getting more for my money, although I have to pay postage which I don’t like doing.
Yet this year I decided to make a day of it and went out with my husband and did all our Christmas shopping. Had a lovely lunch and dinner out (yes it took that long!).
But before I went I had already asked everyone for ideas of what they would like for xmas; been on line and researched where I could get the gifts from just to make my day a little easier.
What really shocked me; the same products in store were actually cheaper, then shown on their websites.
I’m not sure if I would have gone back home empty handed if the products where cheaper on line, as I seemed to have been taken over by some crazed women who couldn’t spend her money fast enough. But its taught me to not only stick with purchasing on line.
Although I’m not going to admit my age here, I don’t know what I would do without the internet and social media now, it seems to have become a way of life and I actually enjoy researching companies I’m going to buy from.
I hadn’t though about searching for coupons!
Is that real? thanks for the information this is really helpful for me.