“Jingle Bells, Twitter Sells, and Facebook Leads the Way.” No, it’s not a new Christmas carol, but it could be for marketers hip to what’s happening in social media.
Truth is, today marketers and brands employ social media for more than just image and engagement. Recent research suggests that social media “now plays a substantial role in driving sales and extending brand reach during the holiday retail season.”
That’s the upshot of the latest research from digital marketing firm Offerpop, which posits that 67 percent of marketers will increase their social media budgets this holiday season.
“Advertising expert Annie Heckenberger, of Red Tettemer O’Connell + Partners says social media does effect shopping — and in a big way,” notes a CBS News post. “Last year we heard that almost 65 percent of shoppers used social media to find the perfect gift.”
The big winner in the social media sphere? Facebook.
As much as 92 percent of marketers indicated they would conduct the bulk of their social media marketing on the platform.
“Facebook is the referral King but Pinterest is the social referral queen,” said Heckenberger. “Last year Pinterest was a huge seller for brands.”
And don’t forget Twitter, which Heckenberger notes has introduced a new tool for advertisers and shoppers called “Twitter Offers.”
The offers let advertisers to extend deals to customers they can redeem in stores or online.