December is here! Shoppers everywhere are in a frenzy searching for the perfect gifts for their loved ones. Whether they are making their purchases at a brick & mortar store or through a retailer’s website, social media is playing an ever-increasing role in holiday shopping.
Shoppers are relying more on what their friends share, like, and tweet than ever before. With the ease of sharing and publishing specials online, social media pages like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are seeing more activity as word-of-mouth is becoming increasingly digital. A recent study showed that 48% of shoppers expect to use social media alone to plan their holiday shopping this year. Customers are no longer limited to using third-party sites to discover what people are saying about a particular product or service, they can now sign onto their social media page and see what their friends are saying and sharing.
With the number of active social media users increasing, you might wonder, who is on social media? The results are surprising. In the past, social media platforms were predominantly saturated by younger generations. However, numerous studies now show that55% of adults aged 45-55 are active on at least one social network. In fact, the fastest growing segment of social media users is now adults aged 45 and over.
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Many businesses have hopped on this growing trend and shifted their marketing strategies to focus on digital, search engines, and social media platforms. In fact, 95% of marketers are now using social media for business. This shift to digital marketing has proven profitable as businesses are finding their customers who are active on social media buy more, share more, and tend to stick with them longer. Another study showed that businesses with a strong online marketing presence expect to grow more than 40% faster than those that aren’t.
If your business does not have a strong online presence, it’s time to get started. Toss the direct mailings, save your dollars, and talk to a professional online marketing company today. You will save time, money, and get more return on your investments.
