Facebook Holiday Marketing Guide: What 2020 Shopping Habits Mean For Your Brand
’tis the season for online shopping and in this series, we’re going to help you identify key must-dos for optimal audience reach, KPIs and conversions.
As more businesses turn to e-commerce, and shoppers are pulled away from brick-and-mortar retail habits by closures and restrictions, it’s important for your brand to not only have an online presence but to also stand out among the wave of new social marketing recruits.
The first thing you need to know?
Who’s Shopping Most Online Right Now?
According to research done by YouGov, as commissioned by Facebook HQ, Gen X and Boomers are the leading consumer forces behind e-commerce growth on desktop and mobile.
While you likely know that Boomers are the more senior age group covering 1946 to 1964, keep in mind that Gen X are currently 40 to 55, but are often mistakenly stereotyped to be much younger in media and marketing alongside Millenials (1981–1996, 24-39).
Of those surveyed about their online shopping habits, in all global age groups collectively:
● 85% shop online
● 43% expect their online shopping to become more frequent, even when the outbreak of COVID-19 is over.
When it came to Gen X and Boomers respectively:
● 72% (Gen X) and 50% (Boomers) recorded higher mobile activity during the pandemic.
● 80% (collectively) are shopping online.
● 44% (Gen X) and 30% (Boomers) are spending an increased amount of time on their online shopping activity.
Now that you know the stats, here’s how you can support Gen X, Boomers and other shoppers in their online efforts this holiday season, and beyond.
1. Offer Support Via Messaging
Instant gratification and support are often two significant needs of today’s digital users. If consumers have a question or a product or service, and can’t find answers quickly, they will move on – likely to your competitor(s)!
Offer fast and easy answers with FAQ’s and messaging support not only on your website but your social channels as well. Facebook Messenger makes it simple to instantly offer “Message”-clicking consumers a shortlist of FAQs plus the option to reach an agent for further information – you.
Ensure Your Business’ Website is Mobile Shopping-Friendly
82% of shoppers surveyed had experienced issues while shopping on mobile devices. Common issues with business’ websites include unclear images, improper font sizes, difficulty typing where needed, site loading times and hard to find or hard to read product information.
When testing or reviewing your pages, always check both desktop and mobile.
Inspire Ideas with Your Product at the Forefront
Consumers visiting your social channels or website can know what your product looks like, but do they have ideas of what they can do with them?
Consider putting together gift and shopping guides for various activities and audiences, using well-photographed, diverse images that scream “inspo”, “#holidaygoals” or even “that’s going on my Pinterest board!”
As these shoppers indulge in their replacement for fun, in-person shopping, ensure their confidence with the holiday essentials as well such as gift-wrapping, gift receipts, kind return policies and the big one this year, Buy-Online-Pickup-In-Store.
The weight and workload of delivery drivers and postal facilities have seen a heavy increase, even before the 2020 holiday shopping season began. Consumers want to know they’ll get their items in time, even if they’re not roaming aisles and shelves themselves. Provide the option for local pick-up, as contactless or curbside as is comfortable and possible for them and for you.