Season's Tweetings: How Twitter Affects Holiday Shopping

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Twitter affects a lot of things in peoples' day-to-day lives: How they communicate with each other, how they get their news and more. So it should come as no surprise that the social network affects how people shop, too, especially around the holidays.

One in 3 consumers have tweeted asking for advice about holiday shopping, according to new research from Twitter. And good news for businesses: 39 percent of consumers are likely to tweet about their holiday purchases, while 62 percent are likely to tweet about a business because they want to share a positive experience.

Respondents also talked about their spending habits. On average, Twitter users plan to spend $800 on holiday purchases this year, and 7 in 10 of the Twitter users said they purchase gifts for everyone on their list, along with a few for themselves. 

So when do Twitter users hit the stores? Forty percent said they plan to start shopping before Thanksgiving this year, while 25 percent said they will wait until December. This gives brands a wide timeframe to market to their audiences. 

Here's what shoppers want to see on Twitter during the holidays:

• Deals and specials only shown on Twitter: 44 percent of respondents
• Sneak peeks at new merchandise: 44 percent
• Ideas for holiday shopping or gift giving: 36 percent
• Links to a business's online store: 35 percent

Twitter suggested that businesses take advantage of these trends by interacting with people who tweet about their businesses and answering those customers' questions.

"When you tweet back, you'll create a positive experience that's more likely to be shared, helping you generate more positive word of mouth for your business," the company wrote on its blog.

The social network also advised brands to tweet out helpful shopping tips and teaser photos of new products, in addition to promoting discounts and sales.

The study was conducted with research firm Millward Brown and surveyed 500 U.S. consumers who use Twitter at least once a month and are involved in holiday shopping.