New research shows that consumers are taking a liking to holiday shopping on social media, giving marketers an opportunity to incorporate more paid social into their holiday campaigns. A Smartly.io survey found that 48 percent of US consumers are considering purchasing products seen in social media ads for holiday gifts.
The findings indicate that consumers are extremely influenced to buy gifts online after seeing them in social advertising. Smartly.io found that 57 percent of holiday shoppers feel social media ads help them source new gift ideas. Among the 48 percent who said they’re considering purchasing from an ad on social media this year, 40 percent said they’re likely to spend at least $50.
Brands that create social ads that combine video and static images will see the most return, as 35 percent of consumers said a compelling or engaging video, animation or image mattered most to them when asked about top factors influencing their decision. Other factors that influence decision making include customer testimonials (32 percent) and influencer participation (26 percent).
The apparel and beauty categories have traditionally thrived on paid social given their ability to convey items’ top selling points, however, Smartly.io found that electronics are also finding success via social ads. Seventeen percent of shoppers said they’re most likely to shop from apparel and accessories followed by electronics (15 percent), beauty and wellness (11 percent) and home goods (10 percent).
It comes as no surprise that of those who have purchased holiday gifts via social media ads, 76 percent have done so via Facebook or Instagram, and 60 percent expect to see the most relevant holiday ads on Facebook or Instagram followed by YouTube (15 percent). The brands that stand out from the pack will include those that design ads to be as unobtrusive to the consumer and conform to the native content each placement has. Shoppers have the highest expectations for Facebook and Instagram with 57 percent expecting the platforms to deliver top-quality holiday ads. Consumers said that they’re least likely to find gifts on Twitter and Snapchat this year.
