Social media site, Twitter has recently shared a new report on the holiday shopping trends found on its platform. With the festive season now upon us, marketers are looking for any way they can get more eyes on products and brands. Any information would be appreciated, especially from one of the most popular platforms to market on.
Well, in partnership with AdAge Studio 30, Twitter has compiled research into trends on the platform to use during the holiday season. In collecting data from users on the site in the US, Twitter shared insights into the holiday shopping trends of users and what they are engaging with, including when people started planning, what fashion they’re gravitating towards, and other valuable trends that marketers can use to prompt their campaigns.
Twitter has identified five key things that marketers should know moving forward with their holiday campaign on the site.
1. Holiday shopping season begins earlier every year
It makes sense. In December the stores are packed, you need your money to join the festivities, or pay for the kids to have a magical Christmas: spreading it out is becoming more and more common. But in 2020, this mentality boomed. We had a lot of time to think, and so users were wondering what they could get their loved ones and simply store away for the rest of the year, without waiting until the December deals.
According to Twitter, there was a 22% increase in holiday shopping Tweets in the 2020 October-November period compared to the previous year – and according to their helpful graph, the trend appears to be continuing this year, with even more shopping Tweets starting as early as September.
2. Brands should strive to avoid shopper fatigue
However, brands should be careful of shoppers’ fatigue before they go dressing up Santa for ads in July. Polls are showing that shoppers might already be tired of holiday marketing by October, or at least dreading the wave of Christmas songs appearing in the final months of the year.
Even with shoppers starting earlier in the year, a majority of users are still buying their Christmas gifts no earlier than November, according to Twitter.
3. Digital is the dominant shopping platform in the post-pandemic
It seems the pandemic had more than a lasting effect on shoppers. With physical stores lockdown, shoppers were looking for items and researching brands on their social media accounts, as shown by the extensive list Twitter shared of brands that were mentioned alongside holiday Tweets.
More than that, Twitter has identified a range of trending topics that have gone up and up over the past two years. In 2021 when compared to 2020, sports events has gone up 103%, movies and tv 73%, music 44%, air travel 60%, cruise travel 24%, hotels 23%, theme parks 15%, plus shipping concerns with USPS going up 64% and small business going up 22%.
Within shopping, the top trending categories at designer fashion, up 119%, appliances up 64%, athletic apparel 51%, beauty 35%, pets 29%, and personal finance 25%.
4. After the effects of 2020, 2021 shoppers are looking for positivity
And again, the effects of the pandemic rear their ugly head. Shoppers were flooded with negativity at every corner, with nothing to do but absorb it, and are, according to the news nowadays, a new level of exhaustion. Last year, sympathetic messaging was all the rage. Relatability and a message of “We know what you’re going through” and “We’re all in this together” spread across marketing.
This year, shoppers are tired of hearing about it and ready to embrace a better future. Brands would be smart to play into the positivity of the holidays to appeal to customers and appeal to the idea of a better tomorrow, no matter what the news is saying. Shoppers are all looking for new things promoted with good tidings and cheer, with the occasional hashtag to find them on.
5. Brands should partner with digital creators to reach shoppers
With shoppers looking to digital media to make more purchases via social media, spurred on by other platforms releasing retail features on their sites, brands will need to work heavily with social media influencers and creators to get more engagement on their marketing campaigns. Affiliate marketing has always been there, but it is finally gaining a footing.
According to Twitter, creators mentioned within the same Tweets relating to the holidays spiked during key retail moments like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the week before Christmas. Gift inspiration and discovery were key to these spikes, with shoppers watching videos on Twitter to gain ideas on what they should buy, recommended by their favourite creators.
For more insight into holiday trends in marketing, take a look at our blog, or book a free call with a member of our team for more personalized advice.
