Forbes: The Fourth Quarter Will Be a Critical Window for E-Commerce Sellers
Forbes says fourth-quarter promotions and social content will jointly influence e-commerce sellers’ year-end performance, as consumers increasingly rely on social media for holiday shopping inspiration.
What are the key facts?
- 1Black Friday and Cyber Monday drive significant annual revenue
- 2Social commerce and interest-driven shopping see higher year-end conversion
- 3More than 90% of U.S. social media users view platforms as a source of holiday shopping inspiration
What happened?
An article published by the Forbes Business Council said the fourth quarter is a critical window in e-commerce sellers’ annual operations, with promotional periods such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday accounting for a significant share of annual omnichannel revenue. The article said conversion performance in social commerce and interest-driven shopping rises significantly during the year-end shopping season.
The article also said that more than 90% of U.S. social media users view social platforms as a source of holiday shopping inspiration. Consumers browse products not only on traditional e-commerce platforms but also discover holiday gifts and promotional information on social media. The report discussed the links between fourth-quarter promotional periods, the spread of social content, and holiday shopping decisions.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
Competition in the fourth quarter does not take place only on marketplace platforms such as Amazon and Walmart; social media content also influences consumers’ holiday product choices. Waiting until promotions are imminent to launch campaigns can mean missing the content-building and product-discovery stages. Highest-priority action: finalize your hero products, inventory, and budget this week, and create a corresponding holiday social media content plan.