Dive Brief:
- Indicating the rise of social media as a tool for researching holiday gifts, 55% of consumers said they have already discovered holiday gift ideas via TikTok, according to a November survey from marketing agency MGH.
- Sixty-nine percent of survey respondents said unboxing videos, customer review videos and user experiences with products were a significant factor in deciding whether to buy an item, per the survey of 1,142 U.S. adults.
- Among various categories, 45% of TikTok shoppers sought food and beverage gifts, followed by personalized gifts (42%), tech gadgets (41%), beauty and skin care products (39%), apparel and accessories (39%), DIY gifts (38%), home decor (36%) and experiences (36%). One-third of TikTok shoppers were looking for children's games and toys, per the survey results.
Dive Insight:
In addition to relying on TikTok for gift ideas, shoppers are also willing to buy gifts through the social media app. MGH’s survey found that nearly half of respondents have purchased items for themselves on the platform and 37% have bought gifts for others.
“Content creators and businesses alike should take note of the opportunity the platform presents, and the impact that compelling content and reviews have on purchasing decisions as we dive head first into the competitive holiday season,” Ryan Goff, executive vice president, chief marketing officer and social media marketing director at MGH, said in a statement.
The MGH survey echoes other research suggesting that shoppers are turning to social media apps for their gift ideas. An EMarketer report released in August found that Instagram was to go-to platform for social media shopping, with 57% of the survey respondents preferring to buy gifts via the app. Facebook came in second with 56%, followed by TikTok (43%) and YouTube (38%). Indicating the importance of TikTok for Gen Z shoppers, a Fiverr report found that almost 54% of Gen Z consumers will look for gifts on TikTok Shop alone.
MGH’s report also builds upon other research suggesting that product reviews have substantial influence over consumer purchasing decisions. A Circana report released in October found that 76% of holiday shoppers said product review videos are likely to influence their puchasing decisions. Shoppers looking for reviews will turn to YouTube the most, followed by Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit, Circana found in its report.
