What are the top tactics your company can use to boost holiday sales with social media, including those for Facebook, mobile, and more? What are ways to connect with loyal customers and attract new connections? These questions are answered and examples of holiday campaigns from socially savvy brands are highlighting in this paper

1. IMPACTING HOLIDAY SALES
WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
IT’S NOT TOO LATE FOR FACEBOOK
AND OTHER SOCIAL STRATEGIES

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There’s no doubt that holiday sales are crucial for retailers. Consumers spent
$471.5 billion between November 1 and December 31, 2011.1
Consider this
revenue in conjunction with findings about how shoppers use social media:
• 57% of consumers used social media to assist in holiday shopping in 2010.2
• Among those consumers, learning about discounts and deals was their
top activity, followed by soliciting opinions from friends about gifts.3
• Sales and promotions influence Twitter users, too: 59% say they
follow retailers on Twitter to keep up on deals.4
• 23% of consumers claimed that retailer Facebook Pages are either
influential or extremely influential on purchasing decisions. Another
32% said they are mildly influential.5
Even marginal improvements in marketing effectiveness can amount to
significant improvements to the bottom line. Traditional marketing often
does not allow the flexibility to make changes or add new campaigns to
the marketing mix. With social media channels, brands can begin major
marketing efforts online late in the season that will have an impact on sales.
IMPACTING HOLIDAY SALES
IT’S NOT TOO LATE FOR FACEBOOK & OTHER SOCIAL STRATEGIES
24.3%of 2012 US retail ecommerce
sales will occur over the
holiday season6
Note: n=1,627 who visit retailer and/or consumer products company Facebook pages
Source: Compete, “Spring 2011 Online Shopper Intelligence: Impact of Social Media on Retailing,”
June 23, 2011
www.eMarketer.com
1 = EXTREMELY INFLUENTIAL6.2%
16.7%
32.9%
Level of Influence of Retailers’ Facebook Pages on the
Purchase Decisions of US Online Buyers, Spring 2011
% of respondents
21.7%
22.5%
23%OF CONSUMERS SAID SUCH PAGES ARE
“INFLUENTIAL” OR “EXTREMELY INFLUENTIAL”
2
3
4
5 = NOT AT ALL INFLUENTIAL
1
National Retail Federation, via Forbes
2
Sapient Nitro, “Holiday Shopping Behavior” conducted by GfK Roper, via eMarketer
3
Sapient Nitro, “Holiday Shopping Behavior” conducted by GfK Roper, via eMarketer
4
Compete, “Spring 2011 Online Shopper Intelligence: Impact of Social Media on Retailing” June 23, 2011
5
Compete, “Spring 2011 Online Shopper Intelligence: Impact of Social Media on Retailing” June 23, 2011
6
eMarketer, “Online Holiday Shopping Forecast and Trends” September, 2012

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TIPS FOR USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST
YOUR HOLIDAY MARKETING
Norwegian Cruise Line noticed that cruisers loved to post pictures from their vacations
to Facebook and other social outlets. This led to the “Cruise Like a Norwegian” campaign,
which included ads on major TV networks. Related to this campaign, Norwegian’s
Facebook page featured a six-day countdown requesting fans to post their favorite
photos to illustrate how Norwegians dine, shop, and party.
MAKE IT SHAREABLE!
Make all your content
shareable, especially gift
items. Include Facebook
sharing, tweet buttons,
and Pinterest pin it tools to
make it easy for shoppers
to share your products.
1 REPURPOSE EXISTING MARKETING PROGRAMS
Retailers no doubt have invested heavily in holiday campaign
development. Maximize those assets by also using them in social
media. Repackaging holiday marketing campaigns streamlines
brand messaging across channels and also helps with holiday-
themed content generation. Brainstorm ways to branch out
from the primary holiday campaign through status updates and
tweets that play off its themes, or with contests and giveaways
that spin off from the main campaign.
Don’t forget to update your social media presences for the
holidays. If your company adds holiday imagery on its website,
for example, stay consistent and do the same with your Facebook
Timeline cover photos, Twitter backgrounds, Google+ images,
YouTube channels, and Pinterest accounts, where possible.

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2 PLAN FOR YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE WITH THE TIMELINE IN MIND
2012 is the first official holiday with the Timeline officially rolled out, and while many
of the same strategies apply, there are new opportunities for brands this season.
Tactics to explore this holiday season on Facebook:
CONTESTS AND GIVEAWAYS
Still a popular campaign choice, Facebook contests or sweepstakes tailored to a holiday
theme get fans involved and helps attract new fans. Launching a holiday contest or
sweepstakes is a great way to generate interaction on your Facebook Page. It creates
engagement with current fans, but also attracts new ones that can continue throughout
the new year. Remember to keep your contest simple. The holidays are one of the busiest
times of the year, so keep that in mind as you choose which type of contest you run. For
example, opting to run a simple sweepstakes instead of a user-generated video contest
might encourage more participation during this season. Other audiences could be more
receptive to uploading photos to a photo contest, for instance.
Remington offered a sweepstakes throughout
the holiday season on a Facebook app. It gave
away a free styling or grooming tool each day
to a selected winner.
Taste of Home magazine hosted a sweepstakes
on its Facebook Page in 2011 that awarded a
Kitchen Aid®
mixer for holiday baking.
Revolve Clothing asked Facebook Page visitors to submit a photo of
themselves in their ugliest holiday sweaters. Users voted for the winner,
who received a $100 Revolve gift card to buy a replacement.

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SOCIAL SHOPPING APPS ON TIMELINE
Other types of custom Facebook apps that help customers find the perfect gift and
share items with friends can help drive traffic to your e-commerce site.
This holiday season, customers will be recommending products and researching gifts
online more than ever. And if they’re fans, they are more likely to purchase and spend
more. Facebook users are 51% more likely to purchase after becoming a fan7
, and fans
of a brand on Facebook spend 117% more compared to a non-fan.8
If you’re an e-commerce retailer, you can easily turn a Facebook custom app into a
social shopping experience and make it simple for visitors to discuss your products
by launching a Facebook storefront.
Or, build a Facebook app that shows
gift guides for key segments of your
target audiences.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE
TIMELINE FEATURES
Timeline offers new ways to brand the
Facebook Page from 2011. The cover
photo offers a unique opportunity to
add holiday imagery to your Page,
and highlighted posts offer a way for
important posts to stand out for visitors
on the Timeline itself. Vibrant, easy-to-
spot app thumbnail images are all part
of your Timeline’s branding and help
persuade visitors to click into your
custom apps. Also, use pinned posts
strategically to highlight important
holiday events, promotions, and
shopping deadlines.
Dearfoams Facebook storefront,
powered by Shoutlet Shop & Share™
.
7
Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate Research Technologies, February 2010. http://blog.cmbinfo.com/
press-center-content/bid/46920/Consumers-Engaged-Via-Social-Media-Are-More-Likely-To-Buy-Recommend
8
Via Social Commerce Today, http://socialcommercetoday.com/f-commerce-statistics-roundup-facebook-
commerce-by-the-numbers

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3 FOCUS ON THE NEWSFEED
Incorporating holiday campaigns into your Facebook Timeline is important, but the
majority of Facebook users who interact with your Page will do so by first seeing posts in
the newsfeed. By helping ensure more people see your posts in the feed, you’ll see your
content get more interaction and possibly more referral traffic to your e-commerce site.
Get more exposure in the newsfeed by using Facebook EdgeRank to your advantage.
The more visibility your holiday content has on Facebook, the better. Facebook EdgeRank
is the algorithm that determines which posts make it into user newsfeeds. Knowing
how this algorithm works and optimizing your content can improve your visibility.
10 TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF EDGERANK
1. Post Photos: People love rich media content. And while no one is completely certain
of the specific weight value of various post types for EdgeRank, it seems photos are
heavily favored by the algorithm.
2. Post Videos: Just like photos, videos
appear in the newsfeed as thumbnails and by
their very nature, entice users to click
on them.
3. Include Links: Links are great to include
in your posts because they require interaction -
users must click on the link to view the object.
While not as heavily weighted as photos and
videos, they are thought to have a more
significant “edge” than other types of posts.
4. Ask Questions: Asking questions
encourages comments on Facebook posts,
which increases the chance that more fans
will see it.
5. Put your Fans in Charge: Show your
fans that you care about their input. Solicit
feedback from them, and they’ll be more
likely to respond.
6. Reach Out on a Human Level: Facebook
is an ideal platform to show your brand’s
human element. It is up to you to take
advantage of that opportunity and add
some life to your posts. For instance, thank
your fans for their posts, comments, photos,
and likes. Wish your fans well during the
holidays. Don’t treat them like just customers,
interact with them like friends!
IMAGES HAVE BEEN THE STAR OF 2012
Pinterest’s skyrocketing growth and Instagram’s
sales to Facebook have illustrated the need for
quality, engaging photos as part of social media
content plans. Take advantage of the visual
appeal of the holidays and invest in photos
on Facebook and other social media sites.
NFO: News Feed Optimization
EdgeRank
- affinity score between viewing user and edge creator
- weight for this edge type (create, comment, like, tag, etc.)
- time decay factor based on how long ago the edge was created
ue
we
de
ue we de
edges e

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7. Target your Posts by Time, Location and Frequency: Relevancy is a vital component
to making sure your fans remain engaged with your brand. Post at times your audience
is more likely to be active on Facebook. (70% of Facebook interactions occur within 60
minutes of the post, so this is critical.9
) Also keep frequency in mind: Too many posts are
a nuisance, while too few are missed opportunities.
8. Use Web Apps: Like links, photos, and videos,
web apps are a great way to attract people to
your content. There are a variety of types of
interactive components you can publish to
the feed like sign-up forms, video players,
slideshows, podcast players, coupons, and
others. These unique pieces of portable content
can be created through the Shoutlet platform
and then instantly published to Facebook.
9. Find Your Brand Voice: Finding your voice
allows your company express itself in a way
that is truly representative of your brand.
This will help connect with fans and boost
interaction rates.
10. Ask for Likes and Comments: The more
interaction a Facebook post has, the better
in terms of EdgeRank. Asking for a Like gets
a 216% higher interaction rate10
, so be sure
to occasionally include calls to action to
encourage feedback.
GET MORE EXPOSURE IN THE NEWSFEED WITH PROMOTED
POSTS FROM FACEBOOK.
For Pages with at least 400 fans, adding this paid option can
boost exposure and put your posts in front of more of your fans.
9
AllFacebook.com, http://www.allfacebook.com/surprise-timeliness-boosts-facebook-engagement-2011-069
10
Momentus Media, http://momentusmedia.com/blog/?p=819
ASKING FOR A LIKE
GETS A 216% HIGHER
INTERACTION RATE

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WALKING IN A MOBILE WONDERLAND:
Ways to Make Mobile/Social Users Happy
Mobile adoption continues to grow, and more users are accessing Facebook’s app and mobile
site than ever before. Make sure that the holiday content you’re offering on Facebook doesn’t
impede mobile users. Here are a few ways how:
PROVIDE MOBILE-FRIENDLY VERSIONS OF FACEBOOK APPS
Visitors to Facebook Pages in the Facebook mobile app and mobile site aren’t able to access
custom apps. Photos, Events, and Likes are available, but any custom apps you create aren’t
visible. Make sure that mobile-accessible versions of apps are linked from posts. By offering
links to both the Facebook app and a mobile optimized app, this helps make sure no customer
encounters a poor customer experience.
Shoutlet’s Social Canvas design tool makes it simple to create Facebook apps and web pages
that can be designed for mobile devices. Plus, Social Canvas designs are HTML5 compatible,
which is viewable on all major platforms, including iOS.
WATCH FOR CALLS TO ACTION THAT ASK FANS TO “SHARE”
There is no share option for Facebook posts when viewed in mobile apps and on the Facebook
mobile site. Users can Like and comment on Facebook Page posts in their mobile newsfeeds,
but there is no option to share. Keep this in mind when writing calls to action over the holidays.
KEEP IT SHORTER FOR EASY READING
Facebook posts often get truncated for length at 160 characters
when viewed on mobile devices, so be brief when you can to
ensure easier interaction for mobile users.
TIE IN-STORE SHOPPING TO THE ONLINE SPACE
By promoting check-ins on services like Foursquare, you can
reward customers and help them spread the word about your
holiday offerings in social media. Reach new visitors and regular
customers with Local Updates, and run Specials to reward
customers and attract new shoppers. Foursquare’s Promoted
Updates are a paid option for reaching new customers over
the holidays.

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4 READY YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSE TEAM
Addressing customer service issues via social media is becoming more common. Customers
are turning to Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms to express opinions and interact with
companies. During the holidays, customers’ questions about products, shipping,
and deals will inevitably arise.
The lack of quick, helpful responses to questions and comments on Facebook and Twitter
can mean lost sales online. Treat your social presences at the holidays like your brick-and-
mortar stores, which stay open longer and employ more staff.
Recent studies have found that when brands do respond to customers, it’s overwhelmingly
positive. More than 80% of those who made complaints on Twitter and received a
response from a company said they “loved” or “liked” it, with 74% of them satisfied
with the response.11
5 MAKE YOUR CAMPAIGNS MORE RELEVANT WITH SCHEDULING FEATURES
Customers aren’t the only ones who are busy this time of year. Social media teams are
juggling tasks, too. Use social media management tools with scheduling features to help
free up time you can devote to other social media efforts, including real-time response
to social conversations and customer questions. Forrester Research’s report, “Become
Responsive Through Push And Pull Social Media Marketing Strategies,” highlights this as
a key strategy for becoming more responsive in social media.
Add relevance to your holiday campaigns using tools like Shoutlet’s Social Switchboard™
,
which lets your team build social campaigns in advance. Each piece of content publishes
based on triggers you select. For retailers during the holiday season, this means creating
campaigns driven on community behavior. When your Facebook Page hits a new level
of Likes, a holiday offer is published, for example. Or, when your holiday video reaches
10,000 views, you release an outtake video to YouTube and Twitter.
6 GET PERSONAL AND USE TARGETING ON FACEBOOK
Help the right customers see the right posts with Facebook Page post targeting options.
Currently Facebook posts can be targeted based on language, country, state/province,
city, gender, age, relationship status, interest in men/women, education level, work and
college networks, and year of college graduation. Combinations of these filters can be
implemented as well.
During the holidays, use these filtering options to reach specific groups of fans with
content that matters for their holiday season. Promote holiday events in individual cities
or share tailored holiday gift guides and ideas.
11
Maritz Research and evolve24-Twitter study, September 2011, via Read Write Web http://www.readwriteweb.com/
enterprise/2011/10/stop-ignoring-your-customers.php

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It’s not too late to wrap social media into your holiday marketing plans. Take advantage
of the flexibility of social media by incorporating these tips into your plans during the
holiday season. You will provide your customers with helpful information, alert them
to sought-after deals, and drive holiday sales. Perhaps most importantly, you will be
strengthening the relationships you have with current fans and followers – and creating
new connections that your company can nurture throughout the year.
ABOUT SHOUTLET
Shoutlet is a leading enterprise social marketing platform. It includes Facebook,
Twitter, and YouTube management, Social CRM, trigger-based social publishing
features, HTML5 web app building, and analytics, in addition to tools designed to
help global brands manage and measure social media programs for hundreds of
locations, franchises, branches, or agents.
More than 500 top brands and agencies have chosen Shoutlet as their social
media management system after conducting comprehensive reviews of companies
in the industry. Learn how they are using Shoutlet and see how Shoutlet can support
your social media program at Shoutlet.com.