Valentine’s Day, coming up Thursday, is a day for love — both in real life and on Facebook. Newly released statistics from the social network show that there are 200 percent more relationships added Feb. 14 compared with any other day of the year.
We're kicking off our upcoming Social Media Marketing Boot Camp with a special keynote presentation by Ella Chick (left), the digital producer at Anderson Cooper 360°. She'll discuss how the network uses social media for breaking news and leverages social media to draw attention to organizations and causes. Learn more about our program and register here. 
Global marketing and digital advertising company LifeStreet Media tracked downloads and usage of Facebook applications during the period between Christmas Day and New Year’s, and its findings were not surprising, considering the number of new mobile devices activated during that span.
How does Santa Claus manage his social media efforts? According to HootSuite, the fat man in the red suit uses its HootSuite Enterprise command center.
Dear Santa,
My name is Heather. You don’t know me. I’m Jewish, so growing up I once spent the entire year trying to guilt my parents into buying me a $100 American Girl Doll, instead of just penning you a simple request. I was eventually successful, but I remember feeling that corresponding with you would have been much easier. I hold onto that childhood memory as I write to you today.
Brands on Facebook have been advertising aggressively during this holiday season, knowing that people are willing to buy. New figures released by Kenshoo Social show that people are also more willing to like, comment on, and share Facebook ads around this time. The study found that the return on ad spend for U.S. retailers from Facebook ads hit $10.95 on Cyber Monday, and direct sales revenue through Facebook ads on that day spiked to 129 percent over the daily seasonal average.
Facebook has recently been expanding the number of users who have access to Gifts, allowing them to give presents to friends through the social network. Just in time for the holidays, the social network is also adding partners, giving users more options. Facebook announced that users who have access to Gifts can now give the sound of music — through iTunes.
It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is already here. Perhaps even more difficult to swallow is the subsequent holiday season and its accompanying pressures. With Black Friday starting ridiculously early this year, you better be ready to put down the pie and shop. The thought of trying to buy presents to please everyone is more than exhausting. How will you know what to buy? Consult Facebook.
Many companies on Facebook will run some kind of holiday campaign or connect with fans through this theme. How can brands stand out? That’s what Likeable Media’s latest white paper aims to answer. Likeable notes that by utilizing the social networks differently, using effective advertising techniques, finding ways to engage the audience, and taking advantage of social commerce channels, brands can rise above the general noise.
With Black Friday just days away, mentions on Facebook containing words related to holiday shopping are up 160 percent compared with one month ago, while mentions of Christmas are up 157 percent, according to the social network.
Facebook commerce isn’t living up to the hype: Only nine percent of U.S. shoppers purchased anything via social media this holiday season.
