Thanksgiving sales have low social media promotion

Raleigh, N.C. – Thanksgiving holiday sales are not getting much social promotion this year from retailers. According to an analysis of 494 brand posts from eight retailers by social software company Expion, only 10 focused on Thanksgiving holiday sales (Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday), or just 2% of all brand posts, and only five of the eight retailers posted about holiday sales.



Expion analyzed posts from Best Buy, J.C. Penney, Kohl's, Macy's, Sears, Staples, Target and Toys R Us between Oct.15 and Nov. 15. Target had the most Thanksgiving sales-related posts, and they generated average engagement rates. Penney, on the other hand, only had one post, but it was the top “sale” post and the third most successful post overall. The post drove users to Pinterest to engage with #BlackFriday deals.



Expion analysis shows that Penney’s cross-platform strategy proved successful, indicating that Pinterest is a key social platform for retail shoppers, and the real-life “wish list” drove engagement. And despite an increase in the number of retailers open on Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday promotions were the only sales posted about on Facebook during the monitored time period.