Next week is officially November, which means the holidays are here, for REAL. As you continue to build out any campaigns, we're sharing the trends that we're already seeing dominate the season that you can work into your strategy for the rest of the year.
image via: @bonjourfete
Holiday Shopping Will Start Sooner
Can we safely say that last year's holiday season was strange? It's true, but the notable memory was how early the holiday shopping season started. In mid-October, brands were already teasing Black Friday deals with some savings coming in early November. Cyber Monday stretched a week, rather than just a day and businesses saw success.
Given what we saw last year, we think this early holiday sale trend will repeat itself, especially as we're already seeing Christmas decor roll out in some stores. We know the early deals appealed to consumers since they were able to get holiday shopping done earlier to beat the crowds and work in time for those shipping delays.
Gift Guides Regain Power
A poll by Facebook (courtesy of Adweek) found that half of all shoppers experience difficulty figuring out what to buy for others now more than ever. This is where gift guides really come in to play! They're the perfect curated content that audiences are responding to, especially during the noisy holiday season. Try sponsoring an influencer's niche gift guide or tap into the "TikTok made me buy it" by partnering with creators on the app.
Shopping On Social Will Grow
As we grew even more attached to our phones this year, many apps like Facebook, TikTok and Instagram also grew within their shopping and business capabilities. More than ever, people are buying gifts on social media (Criteo, Radial) as consumers turn more to digital channels. With Instagram's new feature that lets anyone share links on stories - even if they have under 10k - we think many creators will use this feature for shopping.
Brand discovery also takes place more during the holidays on handheld devices thanks to social media. 45% of people who discovered something new online last season said it was a gift for someone. Making sure you're showing up during the holiday season is key and if you can, optimize your social shopping abilities so checking out is seamless for your customers.
Nano & Micro-Influencers Remain Key
We're big believers in the power of nano and micro-influencers. While larger influencers get you more reach and more eyes on your brand, nano + micro-influencers are connecting with their smaller audiences as a true influence on a relatable level. Be mindful when providing briefs to your influencers this season. They're craving creativity and owning their own brand, so providing flexible content briefs rather than scripted language will provide more authenticity. Allow them the freedom to bring your brand into their content in a way that feels personal, relevant and organic.
Gifts in Experiences + Wellness Will Shine
This year, we expected to see a lot more interest in experiences and gifts that lend to emotional or health connections. Health & fitness services, travel-related gifting, local experiences, virtual experiences and gifts that preserve or create memories are what we see rising to the top.
Playing into things like creative gift exchange ideas and going beyond the idea of standard or traditional gift-giving is also something we see rising to the top of influencer content. Health and wellness brands will be top-of-mind this season for partnerships!
Are there any trends or predictions we forgot? Let us know in the comments below!