The Effect of Social Media on the Holiday’s

The social media craze is consuming just about everything, including the holiday’s. Consumers and companies alike are using social media to share news about deals, online and in-store shopping experiences, and more. According to Hubspot, consumers are 71% more likely to make a purchase based on social media referrals.

Buzz marketing on social media is taken very seriously by both consumers and brands. People share and post about their shopping experiences and the products or services they buy. With the power that word of mouth marketing has, it is important that the brands respond promptly to any negative posts that consumers write on their pages. Fans or followers of these pages will see how the brands handle these situations on their newsfeeds, so it is crucial that they handle it in a kind and professional manner. Forbes has found that 81% of US respondents indicated that friends’ social media posts directly influenced their purchase decision.

When making online purchases, especially during the holiday’s, I can count on saving money by looking at that brand’s Facebook or Twitter page to find a promotional code to enter at checkout. By simply following or liking their page, you can receive discounts on future purchases. According to a 2013 study done by Syncapse, 42% of users like a brand on Facebook in order to get a coupon or discount. Friends of mine usually share or post these promotional codes on their social media pages to inform others of the money they could be saving.

Twitter and Facebook are not the only social media platforms that want in on the social media holiday marketing; Instagram is becoming utilized by more and more brands. Brands are posting photos of their products onto Instagram to share with consumers. Around the holiday’s, these brands use certain hashtags like #perfectgift to persuade consumers into buying it. Udi’s gluten free products has been using Instagram to post photos of tasty holiday recipes that incorporate their products.

Social media is a great tool for marketing when done the right way. During the holiday’s people are searching for gifts to buy and recipes to make and brands are still in the process of figuring out how best to use this to their advantage.

Don’t forget to watch your social media feeds for goodies this holiday season!