…and How to Prepare for the 2019 Holiday Season

Introduction         

The world of social media is rapidly expanding. With just
under 1
billion users worldwide in 2010, social media is now expected to surpass 3
billion users by the end of 2021. The days of individuals logging on to
their computers and “searching the web” is all but over. In today’s day and
age, people are now “surfing social media”, and it’s quickly becoming a place
to learn about new brands and to discover new pieces of information.

If brands are not already advertising on social media,
it’s time for them to start getting involved. In one full year, the percentage
of retailers in North America using social media as a way to market and
advertise their products almost doubled from 17% in 2017 to
33% in 2018. Brands are realizing the opportunity that is out there, and
are acting fast to get ahead of potential competitors.

An Evolving Market

Social media marketing is quickly evolving into a very
competitive market. According to the annual
CMO Survey, marketers are expected to increase their social media spend by
89% over the next five years. This finding indicates that more businesses will
be competing for ad space, and more dollars will be spent in the different social
networks. Nowadays, advertising can be seen on almost all the big-name social media
platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and much more.

Consumer Behavior Towards Online Advertisements Are Changing

More than ever, people are now feeling comfortable with making
purchases through the different advertisements and messages that they see on
social media. Advertisements that appear natural and that are integrated into a
consumer’s feed, are turning out to be successful and encouraging potential
shoppers to click on them and make a purchase.  

One evolving trend that marketers are seeing involves
older generations and their spending. Older generations are now feeling
comfortable with making purchases through social media advertisements. Their
spending and their clicks on social media advertising are increasing, and they
will continue to climb even after the 2019 holiday season.

The one platform that is seen having immense success with this form of advertising is Facebook. Facebook is currently attracting older demographics more than any other social media platform.

Social Media Marketing During The Holidays

With the holiday season right around the corner, brands
should now be looking to market their business on social media more than ever.
A recent
study found that roughly 1 in 3 Americans had made a purchase as a result
of a product or brand that they had seen on social media. With this in mind,
social media marketing needs to be incorporated into your brands 2019 holiday
strategy.

If you’re trying to gain awareness for your brand during the holidays, then social media is the perfect channel to advertise through. Social media advertising works as a great exposure tool because of how frequently consumers are spending their time on these platforms. Research has found that social media advertisements drive three times as many non-customers as current customers to advertiser’s website. In addition, 93% of marketers have stated that their social media ads have generated more exposure and overall reach for their brand.

Consumers enjoy seeing holiday-related ad copy and images centered around a brands social media advertising. Be sure to make changes to your brands messaging so that you can begin to relate more to the holiday season and attract new consumers. Shoppers also like using promotions and discounts catered specifically for them during the holiday season. To stand out from competitors, make sure that you’re re-marketing to potential shoppers with discount codes and promotions that they can use on your holiday products. Even an online survey found that during the holiday season, consumers are most influenced by free shipping, exclusive discounts, rewards, and daily deals when it comes to completing a purchasing on a social networking site. Keep this information in mind when planning your holiday strategy!

Online shoppers also don’t want a brand’s marketing efforts to appear fragmented and unorganized. Instead, make it simple for your customer. Make sure they have a positive experience by using similar messaging and imagery across all paid and non-paid channels of advertising.

While social media advertising can be very advantageous for a brand, it’s important to note that this form of advertising should not be the only marketing driver for the holiday season. Be sure that your brand is utilizing other advertising efforts as well such as paid search, display, or mobile advertising.

With this information in mind, you and your brand can
take advantage of the amazing opportunities that are out there on social media.
If you’d like more information about where different audiences are spending
their time on social media, be sure to check out some of our other blog posts
linked below.

From our Lever family to you, Happy Holidays!