Consumers used to browse magazines and publisher sites for gift-giving inspiration, and brands would turn to publishers to sponsor those coveted gift-guide spots. This holiday season, influencers are taking on that role. They expertly thread the needle between entertainment and commerce, and they are supercharged by social media platforms’ powerful recommendation algorithms. In fact, TikTok’s survey found that 65% of people on TikTok say that they always rely on online reviews and creators to decide what to buy online. Additionally, over half of respondents in a survey conducted by marketing agency MGH said that they already found ideas for holiday gifts this year on TikTok while 39% say that they’ve searched TikTok for holiday gift ideas. Influencers will also transcend social media platforms and reach non-TikTok users: Publishers leverage TikTok influencer recommendations to inform their own gift guides.

New York Post gift guide:

 

Social Media Platforms Incentivize Merchants And Creators

Social media companies are trying to attract both creators and merchants to their platforms. TikTok launched an incentivization program for merchants to buy more Shop Ads with the 2024 TikTok Shop Holiday Emporium. Small- and medium-sized businesses can apply to become a part of TikTok’s gift-guide experience to elevate their brand’s visibility via featured videos and priority exposure. To be selected, however, businesses must commit to a minimum ad spend on Shop Ads during the holiday season.

 

YouTube and Shopify expanded their partnership ahead of the holiday season so that Shopify merchants can tap into creators via YouTube Shopping’s affiliate program. This partnership gives creators access to more products that they can tag in their shopping content and helps connect merchants more easily to creators to get more reach for their products. By fostering the relationship between creators and merchants more easily using technology, social media platforms are putting the plumbing in place to make their platforms legitimate storefronts.

Social Media Platforms Resonate With Shoppers, More Than Traditional Media

Forrester’s October 2024 Consumer Pulse Survey found that 43% of US online adults ages 34 and under say social media posts from a brand will most likely influence their winter holiday shopping decisions, and 25% said the same of social media posts from an influencer. These both rank higher than TV commercials, online video ads, magazines, or even podcasts. As we stated in Forrester’s 2025 media and advertising predictions, we predict that marketers will shift 10% of their global performance media budgets into social commerce. This holiday season is just the beginning of a real consumer shift into social shopping that we’ll see come to fruition over the coming year.

Forrester clients, schedule a guidance session with me to discuss your social commerce strategy for 2025.