Among Facebook wall posts related to Black Friday (Nov 25) and Cyber Monday (Nov 28) in 2011, those containing the word "coupon" were far more engaging than other posts about the year's most celebrated shopping days, according to a report by Buddy Media, which explores how brands used Facebook during the month of November to spread the word about holiday shopping.
For the study, Buddy Media analyzed user engagement of Facebook wall posts on the branded pages of more than 400 of the world's largest retailers. Three primary success metrics were reviewed: 1) Like Rate (the number of likes as a percentage of fan base); 2) Comment Rate (the number of comments as a percentage of fan base); and 3) Engagement Rate (a combination of the previous two metrics, factoring in fan-base size).
Among posts related to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, those containing the word "coupon" generated a lift of 109% over the average; the word "deal" also was relatively engaging, generating a 4% lift over the average level of engagement.
Below, other findings from Buddy Media's report.
Black Friday Posts More Engaging
Black Friday Facebook posts were five times more prevalent than Cyber Monday posts, according to the study. Moreover, Black Friday posts were 23% more engaging than Cyber Monday posts.
Thanksgiving Best Day to Post About Black Friday
Although brands posted less about Black Friday on Thanksgiving Day, Nov 24 (vs. the day before and after), engagement rates were highest on the holiday; roughly 31% higher than the week's average:
Black Friday Messaging Started Late
Even though brands started talking about Black Friday on Facebook as early as Nov 1, the volume of posts didn't ramp up substantially until the week of Thanksgiving. Roughly 81% of all Black Friday Posts were sent out during a five-day period beginning Nov 21.
Brands still posted about Black Friday even after the day was over, but there was a 90% drop in Black Friday content from Friday to Saturday.
Most Cyber Monday Posts Occurred on the Day
Unlike the week-long messaging focusing on Black Friday, Cyber Monday posts were only prominent on two days: Sunday (Nov 27) and Monday (Nov 28).
The heaviest Cyber Monday posting was recorded on the day of the actual event: Roughly 72% of Cyber Monday Posts occurred on that day.
Status Updates Had Highest Engagement
In terms of content type, brands used three types in nearly equal proportion: text-only status updates, posts containing links, and posts containing photos. Video posts made up only 1% of the total.
Simple status updates appeared to be most effective, generating engagement rates 58% higher than the average.
Looking for real-world examples of businesses achieving their social media marketing goals? Our 47-page case-study collection, Facebook Success Stories, shows you how to increase brand awareness, target specific markets, promote new products, and create communities that engage users. Also check out The State of Social Media Marketing, a 240-page original research report from MarketingProfs.
Facebook Influencing Buying Decisions
Facebook pages are becoming a more influential part of the purchase process, according to a June-2011 survey from Compete: 23% of consumers say retailers' Facebook pages are "influential" or "extremely influential' to their buying decision, and 56.2% say they visit branded pages to keep up with sales and promos.
About the data: For the study, Buddy Media analyzed Facebook wall post content related to Black Friday and Cyber Monday published by more than 400 large brands during the month of Nov 1-28, 2011.
