With the holiday season right around the corner, businesses are actively planning their strategies to endure the shopping madness. This year is especially tricky with the lingering pandemic and resulting impact on supply chains. While it might be tempting to put all your focus on the operations you know will increase your sales, don’t overlook the power of social media to help you meet your holiday season sales goals. 

According to research, 8 in 10 holiday shoppers are influenced by the internet before making a purchase. “The internet” might be vague, but consider social media among possible answers. It is much faster to update a social media page than it is to update a website while dealing with the holiday rush. 

While there are multiple tactics to keep in mind during the holiday season, promoting and maintaining your social media presence is a fast and simple way to cash in on shoppers looking to quickly inform themselves of options. With so many consumers having their smartphones with them at all times, it’s no surprise they are ever-searching for the perfect deal, price, or item color. With social media, you can quickly make updates when a hot item goes on sale or when you get an exclusive shipment of an in-demand product. Just be sure to also update when a sale ends, or when an item is out of stock. There is nothing quite like the frustration of arriving at a store only to find out the item you wanted is sold out. 

Beyond timely updates, you can utilize your social media to run limited time promotions. Special sales or coupons will have shoppers checking your pages regularly waiting for just the right moment to make their gift purchase. A study by Google shows that 76% of mobile shoppers change their mind on where or what brand to buy after searching online. Be sure you’re one of the retailers vying for changed opinions by putting your best foot forward on social media with updated hours, inventory, and sales. 

You’ll also want to make sure you’re highlighting any practices you’ve put into place during the pandemic that make shopping easier and safer for those still maintaining their social distance. If you have to buy online, pick-up in store or curbside pick-up those are offerings that could help you beat out your holiday competition if other businesses are competitive to your prices. By keeping in mind the power a few quick social media updates can have on your holiday shopping audience, you’ll be sure you’re setting yourself up for holiday shopping season success.