Twitter Shared 9 Trends It Discovered During Last Year’s Holiday Shopping Season

Twitter examined activity on its platform during the 2017 holiday shopping season and shared nine trends for brands to consider for this year. Content strategy lead E.J. Samson wrote in a blog post that people on Twitter are 31 percent more likely to be the first to buy new products, compared with the rest of the online population, according to a study by Kantar Millward Brown that was commissioned by the social network. He also cited another Twitter-commissioned study from last year’s holiday shopping season, which found that two-thirds of Twitter users influence purchases made by their families and friends. Here are Twitter’s nine trends to watch for the 2018 holiday shopping season: Early Christmas Twitter found that 52 percent of people on its platform begin thinking about holiday shopping lists as early as September, with that early activity focused on festive clothing such as pajamas, socks and sweaters. The top 10 keywords in Christmas tweets are: Christmas Xmas Holiday shopping Santa Claus Feliz Navidad Christmas tree and Santa Claus emoji #ChristmasIsComing #MerryChristmas #NBAChristmas #HappyChristmas [kickout id="1"] Friendsgiving Samson wrote that Friendsgiving—celebrating Thanksgiving with friends instead of family—became a major theme on Twitter in 2017, with mentions up 295 percent compared with the same time in 2016, driven primarily by millennials and women. He added that discussion on Twitter revealed Friendsgiving to be more relaxed than Thanksgiving, which was often associated with “stress, frustration and exhaustion” due to planning and travel issues. Sparing the turkey Conversation about vegetarian and vegan options for the Thanksgiving meal was up 10 times in early November compared with the same period last year. Samson wrote, “Grandma’s turkey may be the foundation of the holidays in many homes, but people on Twitter are looking for new, healthy twists on holiday classics.” Black Friday Twitter found Black Friday to be “a major source of exhaustion” for users, with women affected 47 percent more than men. People on Twitter were 30 percent more likely to seek holiday deals early. Samson wrote that conversation about Black Friday in 2017 peaked on the actual day, as shoppers shared tips for avoiding traffic and crowds. He added that tweets indicating purchase intent were more likely to reference brick-and-mortar stores than online shopping. The top eight keywords in Black Friday-related tweets were: Black Friday Shopping Sales Deals Discounts #BlackFridaySale #BlackFriday #BlackFridayDeals Moms dig Cyber Monday Twitter discovered sentiment from many people that shopping in brick-and-mortar stores on Black Friday was a waste of time when similar deals were available online on Cyber Monday. Samson wrote that moms embraced the convenience of Cyber Monday, expressing “hope and contentment,” and he added that there has been a 37 percent increase in conversation about online shopping overall since 2017. The top six keywords in Cyber Monday-related tweets were: Cyber Monday Sales Discount Shopping Deals #CyberMonday [kickout id="2"] Don’t forget dad Twitter found that while fathers were more likely to complain about the holiday shopping season than mothers were, they were also more involved than ever. The social network found that dads were 9 percent more involved in holiday planning than in previous years, gravitating toward online retailers to save time. They were not as concerned with saving money, however, as dads were 57 percent less likely than moms to discuss saving and budgeting on Twitter. Consumers care Many consumers tweeted their concerns about retail workers who had to spend Thanksgiving and Black Friday on the job instead of with their families. In return, retail brands including T.J.Maxx, The Home Depot and REI tweeted reminders that they would be closed on Thanksgiving Day. [kickout id="3"] [kickout id="4"] [kickout id="5"] Be good to yourself Twitter found that many people skipped Black Friday and Cyber Monday altogether and did their shopping in December. When doing so, although their intentions may have been to shop for others, they ended up treating themselves, as well. Samson wrote that this trend continued throughout December 2017, with male shoppers more likely to continue buying things for themselves late in the holiday shopping season. You say ‘last-minute’ like it’s a bad thing Once December hits, 63 percent of people on Twitter are decorating their homes and listening to holiday music, but the shopping doesn’t stop. People on Twitter are 7 percent more likely to still be searching for holiday deals and more likely to tweet about shopping in stores than online, according to a Twitter-commissioned study last year. Samson wrote, “In fact, the biggest peak in the brick-and-mortar shopping conversation after Black Friday happened on Christmas Eve.” [kickout id="6"] So, what does all of this mean for marketers? Samson concluded, “With this information, marketers can speak directly and more effectively to a Twitter audience that’s already engaged and receptive to holiday messaging. And by understanding when they’re filled with holiday joy or holiday dread, you’ll be able to tailor your message directly to your audience. By digging into the Twitter conversation, you’ll also have a better sense of who you should target and when you want to message them during the holiday season. The holidays are a crucial time for most brands and, with these insights, you’ll be better prepared to position yourself in the crowded marketplace.”

Social Pro Daily

Twitter Shared 9 Trends It Discovered During Last Year’s Holiday Shopping Season

52 percent of the social network’s users start making their lists as early as September

Early Christmas

David Cohen

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