Predictions and Trends for the 2010 Holiday Shopping Season

Holiday shopping isn’t what it used to be. Long lines, early bird sales and throwing elbows are still involved, but thanks to social media, consumers can get a lot of the legwork done before ever reaching a store. Since the advent of blogs and review websites, shoppers have taken to the Internet to research their products and smell out sales before drafting their Black Friday plan of attack.

Social shopping

Shopping has always been social, and forums like Twitter take this to a new level. Now consumers can connect directly with brands, and unlike before, consumers expect to get a response. There was always an unspoken assumption that comments on a blog or review site would not actually reach a marketing department. However, with Twitter the opposite is true. If I send a message to @brandXYZ, I expect a response.

In the same light, marketers have unparalleled access to real-time consumer sentiment. Twitter is the type of unfiltered focus group of marketers’ dreams. Conducting recognizance on forums like Twitter enables marketers to engage and cultivate relationships with their customers on a personal level. This coupled with the timeliness of Twitter affords marketers the chance to run short, targeted promotions with customers who are devoted enough to follow their updates.

So will Twitter change the rules of engagement for the holiday shopping season? Absolutely.

Twitter’s influence

Cyber Monday is already a powerful driver of holiday sales, so incorporating Twitter into a digital holiday marketing push is a no brainer. I expect retailers to run promotions exclusively on Twitter, and more than likely they will have an offline component. Beyond this, I expect Twitter users to send out requests for reviews and recommendations to their followers. This proactive request for feedback will play a large role this season. It will help hype a product or service, but on the flipside, if consumers are not having a positive response to a brand, more people will know about it.

A new old favorite

Last week eMarketer reported that coupon usage is going up, and industry analysis suggests that consumers will be shopping this year. However, they will still exercise caution when making larger purchases. What does this mean for marketers? Consumers are going to spend, but they will be comparing prices and looking for a deal. This is going to influence where and when they make purchases.

Take advantage & make an impact

Use social media as an avenue to promote the holiday spirit and boost customer service and interaction. When choosy customers have several retailers vying for their attention, it’s a chance to establish (or solidify) yourself as a caring company that values the opinions of its consumers. Use Twitter to connect with your brand fans, and help them spread the holiday shopping cheer.