THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON, IT’S MOBILE FIRST

The festive season is the time of year everybody loves.

In a period of celebrations, delectable feasts and gifting, people are not only living these unforgettable moments on Facebook and Instagram, they’re also looking for the best shopping experiences.

Businesses have a great opportunity to build awareness and drive sales among eager shoppers, Facebook says.

Here are some key seasonal findings, based on Facebook data.

The season of mobile

Whether it’s sharing gift ideas or Christmas selfies, mobile is the constant companion. During the festive season, 88 percent of Facebook posts in Southeast Asia are on mobile.

And people are sharing their favorite moments more than ever, particularly on video.

During this period, Southeast Asians post 31 percent more content on Facebook and 2.2x more mobile videos.

People start sharing and shopping early

Southeast Asians start festive conversations and gift hunting early in the season.

Singaporeans and Malaysians get into the Christmas spirit as early as August, where they start posting 32 percent and 46 percent more on Facebook, respectively.

In the Philippines, people post more as early as September, by 21 percent.

And the early celebrations don’t stop with Facebook posts. People in Southeast Asia shop online earlier than most would expect, and they’re purchasing items 55 percent more during the festive season on Facebook.

With online shopping on Facebook, Southeast Asians start as early as September in Singapore (plus 30 percent more conversions). And in November, Indonesians and Thais are shopping on Facebook 35 percent and 48 percent more, respectively.

To raise awareness among their audience and loosen purse strings, businesses must be prepared to reach people ahead of the Christmas period.

Connect with audiences across their buying journey

Businesses should stay top of mind by connecting with their audience across the entire path to purchase, be it brand building or driving checkouts.

To complement productfocused ads during the peak shopping season, businesses can start raising brand aware- ness, driving demand in their products and services, and acquiring leads through Facebook.

Festive shopping peaks on several milestone periods, and businesses can focus on driving conversions specifically leading to and during that time. •

12 December is the top online shopping day across Southeast Asia, with 2.4x more conversions on Facebook. •

In January, there are 1.6x more conversions on Facebook compared to an average day.

Even after the New Year fireworks, people in Southeast Asia look out for the best shopping deals. Consider cross-selling complementary products and speak to people’s New Year’s resolutions

Marketer takeaways

Businesses can reach people on Facebook and Instagram, where they’re living their biggest festive moments celebrating and shopping.

Stay top of mind

Build awareness by telling your best stories with video ads. Remember to optimize your video for mobile: Design for sound-off, capture attention quickly, and front-load with your key message and branding.

Break through the clutter

When shopping is in full swing, showcase your products to the right people using Custom Audience and Lookalike Audience targeting. Retarget interested shoppers with dynamic ads, and optimize your placements across Facebook, Instagram and Audience Network for the best results.

Ride the momentum

Even after the New Year fireworks, people in Southeast Asia look out for the best shopping deals. Consider cross-selling complementary products and speak to people’s New Year’s resolutions—be it athletic gear for healthy living, home improvement solutions or more.