Social media has forever changed the way we shop. From product discovery to purchase, customers can now complete an end-to-end shopping journey without ever visiting your website or store.
Retailers that tap into the conversation on social media are rewarded with powerful customer insights. But with an abundance of data available, where should you start? And, what do these reports mean for your Black Friday strategy?Â
5 Social Media Insights to Monitor
Focus on these five social media questions to glean actionable insights for your Black Friday campaigns.
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1. What’s Trending?
Social media engagement metrics offer at-a-glance insights into emerging trends. Review likes, shares, comments, and click-through rates for a high level overview of your content performance. Do certain products consistently attract high levels of engagement? Does a particular post style or aesthetic appeal to your audience? How do static images stack up against video posts?
Keep these observations in mind when planning your paid and organic social posts for Black Friday. Let your star products shine in campaign creative and display sale stock in popular styles to boost engagement. On your ecommerce site, use real-time social media insights to inform boost rules throughout the sale period. With dynamic merchandising you can instantly adapt your shopping experience to the latest breakout trends.
2. Who is Trending?
When it comes to social media, who shares your content is just as important as what they share. Influencer marketing is integral to product discovery, especially during periods like Black Friday when ad fatigue begins to set in. Collaboration with the right content creators builds authentic relationships with customers, and instantly amplifies your reach.
If you already work with influencers, analyze their individual ROI to identify the most effective partners to work with this Black Friday. Ensure each creator has unique tracked links, and curate their images on dedicated landing pages for a consistent buyer journey. Or, if you’re new to influencer marketing, get started with user-generated-content. Invite customers to tag your brand in their product shots, then repost to your social accounts for a budget-friendly alternative to paid partnerships.
3. How Are Shoppers Buying?
In-platform social media purchases are increasingly popular, as shoppers opt to buy without ever leaving their feed. Facilitate quick and easy conversions this Black Friday with an effortless social media checkout experience. Whether it’s virtual storefronts on Instagram, or shoppable posts on TikTok, ensure your social strategy meets customer expectations.
Of course, with so many paths to purchase available, rigorous user testing is crucial to find potential obstacles to conversion. Do you see a high bounce rate after users click your link in bio? Your mobile experience may need some work. Are in-platform social purchases disjointed from your brand experience? Focus on ways to redirect traffic directly to your store instead.
4. Which Channels and Audiences Need Investment?
Fine-tune customer personas this Black Friday with insights from your follower demographics. Pay special attention to any disparity between your social media audience and your website demographics on Google Analytics – these insights could prove valuable for paid campaign targeting.
You might find a particular persona is more (or less) likely to engage with your brand on social media, which helps refine ad audiences, improve reach, and reduce costs. Not all social channels perform equally for all retailers, so allocate ad spend based on where your audience is most active. If your typical customer is under the age of 25 for example, your advertising dollars are almost certainly better spent on TikTok than Facebook.
5. What Qualitative Insights Can You Leverage?
Beyond the numbers, take some time to sift through social media comments, questions, and DMs. Are there any recurring complaints that you could resolve before Black Friday? Is there a prevailing sentiment or perception about your brand that you would like to change? Qualitative research is quick and easy with social media listening tools, and can prompt small but high-impact changes to your ecommerce strategy.
In turn, these updates make for compelling social media content. For example, if you decide to upgrade your shipping services or offer free returns ahead of Black Friday, make some noise about it in your social posts. Most importantly, make sure your social media customer support team is fully briefed on any policy changes, so they can respond quickly and accurately to any queries.Â
Tap Into Social Reports For a Data-Driven Black Friday Strategy
The most successful retailers are highly attuned to their customers’ changing preferences. Social media reports are a goldmine of up-to-the-minute insights, which can be transformed into highly targeted campaigns during peak sale periods.
