Mobile is redefining the festive experience: Facebook

People in Southeast Asia* are sharing more during the festive year-end season on Facebook, the social media platform and on their preferred device - and that device is mobile, says Facebook, the company. Compared to the rest of the year, people share 30% more mobile content during the festive period** and 75% of posts created were on mobile, the company said in a blog post.

"...People share more mobile posts on New Year’s Eve (68% more) and Christmas Eve (36% more) compared to the rest of the season," stated Facebook in the blog post.

Facebook also found that people across demographics are sharing more on Facebook during the season, including youths*** (19% more), Millennials**** (23% more), parents (17% more) and mums (19% more).

"Across Southeast Asia, Facebook conversations during the period are centred on greetings and festive activities in the Philippines (84% of Facebook chatter), Indonesia (90%) and Singapore (52%)," Facebook said.

Shopping peaks in December, the company observed. Retail store check-ins on Facebook spike by 14% compared to the rest of the season, with 39% of check-ins taking place on Saturdays and Sundays. "Over 50% of people in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand said they are intending to shop online more this season, according to Facebook-commissioned polls*****... Over four out of five people in the Philippines (91%), Indonesia (83%) and Thailand (84%) said Facebook is influential to their shopping during the season. More than one in two people in the Philippines (63%), Indonesia (56%) and Thailand (52%) also said that Facebook is the preferred platform to seek advice about what to buy from others," said Facebook in the blog post.

There are geographic differences in shopping days of choice however. Mondays are most popular for online shopping in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, Facebook said, whilst Vietnamese prefer Thursdays and Singaporeans prefer Sundays. When it comes to shopping on mobile, Fridays are the most popular day across the region.

Facebook has observed that the shopping frenzy continues into the New Year. While the company attributes the upswing - it notes that in January 2015, users shopped online 19% more compared to the festive season on average - to good post-Christmas deals, Chinese New Year could also be a big reason. Chinese New Year, when new clothes must be worn and home interiors refreshed before relatives and friends visit, is celebrated in Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam (as Tet), as well as anywhere there is a sizeable ethnic Chinese community. It always falls on January or February; it was on February 19 in 2015, and will start on February 8 in 2016.

The breakdown across countries:

Indonesia

• 80% of festive season posts were created on mobile
• Indonesians share 87% more video content and 24% more photo content than the rest of the year
• Shopping peaks on New Year’s Eve with 57% more retail store check-ins, and continues into the New Year with 30% more online shopping in January

The Philippines

• 70% of festive season posts were created on mobile
• Filipinos share 50% more video content and 37% more photo content than the rest of the year
• Shopping peaks on Christmas Day with 59% more retail store check-ins, and continues into the New Year with 16% more online shopping in January

Thailand

• 80% of festive season posts were created on mobile
• Thais share 20% more video content and 30% more photo content than the rest of the year
• Shopping peaks on New Year’s Eve with 98% more retail store check-ins, and continues into the New Year with 7% more online shopping in January

Vietnam

• 70% of festive season posts were created on mobile
• Vietnamese share 100% more video and photo content than the rest of the year
• Shopping peaks on Christmas Eve with 82% more retail store check-ins, and continues into the New Year with 38% more online shopping in January

Singapore

• 79% of festive season posts were created on mobile
• Singaporeans share 22% more video content and 13% more photo content than the rest of the year
• Shopping peaks on Christmas Day with 85% more retail store check-ins, and continues into the new year with 7% more online shopping in January

Source: Facebook. Sourced from Facebook internal data based on inferred and reported data, January 2014 – January 2015 (accessed June 2015).

Interested?

View a regional infographic and link to other country-specific infographics

Facebook recommends that marketers reach out first on mobile with "eye-catching ads with concise copy for the small screen". Read tips for Facebook ads. Facebook also suggests using the Custom Audiences feature to reach potential customers, as well as to reach new audiences similar to current customers with the Lookalike Audiences feature.

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog posts about the 2015 festive season, including:

Singapore Gift Guide 2015, the pleasure edition
Singapore Gift Guide 2015, the tech edition

Who in APAC will be spending the most online, according to the Adobe Digital Index

Hong Kong's Winter Wonderland experience
The City of Sydney's Christmas programme

Sofitel So Singapore's French fusion Christmas menu
The launch of Casa Ferrero, Ferrero Rocher's popup store
House of Sillage launches the Holiday by House of Sillage fragrance

*Includes the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore
**October 2014 to January 2015
***Aged 18 to 24
****Aged 18 to 34
*****Separate polls in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, each with 500 respondents ages 18+, selected as a representative sample of the online population, July 2015.