Macy’s is wishing Instagram users a happy holiday through short video snippets, incorporating various Christmas themes and linking back to its commerce site to drive gifting sales.

The retailer is hoping to increase holiday cheer and brand sentiment through the short and sweet clips on Instagram, which feature content related to this time of year such as candy canes and glitter. The department has cultivated a gift guide accessible through a link within its homepage on Instagram, allowing users to shop items featured on the social media site.

“An integrated approach of social media, mobile and content allows brands to connect directly to its targeted consumers through the channels they are using most,” said Matt Bretzius, president of FischTank. “We are spending almost three hours per day on mobile devices, and almost 26 hours a month on social media apps.

“And we are not just chatting, we are using social to consume content, share content with friends, and connect with brands we love,” he said. “Macy’s is capitalizing on the holiday season by promoting short videos through social, which can then lead to shopping directly from their online store.”

Video heavy sales
Mobile videos are becoming increasingly important with marketers and their connection to consumers, especially through social media. Macy’s Instagram videos are a small way the retailer shows its holiday cheer.

Including a link in its bio allows for users to shop items that have been glorified on its Instagram page. While Macy’s stages high quality images featuring products available for purchase, consumers are intrigued and it sparks inspiration for gift ideas during the holiday season.

The link features all the products in the feed, and the videos remind users to check out the microsite.

The latest video showcases a woman dressed on in glittery gold, in front of a gold glitter background while blowing gold confetti from her hands at the camera. The caption reads “this season, #beau0ty is in the eye of the gift giver,” and then reminds followers to shop its online holiday gift guide by tapping the link in its profile.

Another holiday video from Macy’s Instagram 

Another video features two women walking towards the camera with giant sized candy canes with text “have candy canes, will party” including the hashtag #sweet, and an earlier clip showed a model wearing a red dress at a party setting holding balloons in the shape of stars with the caption “did somebody say party season, #ohwhatfun.”

Instagram activation
Apparel retailer Express also relied on artfully curated Instagram posts to inspire last-minute holiday shoppers to click the link in its account bio and peruse mobile-optimized gift guides for men and women (see more).

Also, Victoria’s Secret did not let its large Instagram following go to waste during the airing of the brand’s popular fashion show on Tuesday night, with users able to shop the featured items in real time (see more).

“Social media users are more likely to engage with a brand when there is some sort of content involved first, rather than just a plea to shop at the store,” Mr. Bretzius said. “The video brings people to Macy’s Instagram page, where users can then interact with other content on the page.

“It is likely that they will then organically find the link to shop at Macy’s, which they are likely to visit after the positive experience they had on social,” he said. “Social sites like Instagram are now just another extension of both the brand and it is ecommerce presence, so it is important to take advantage of social traffic.”

Final take
Brielle Jaekel is editorial assistant at Mobile Commerce Daily