Takeaways

• Today we're introducing the Meta Holiday Insights Center, a free hub that can help small businesses understand how their customers plan to shop this peak season based on insights from more than 14,000 holiday shoppers.
• We're also sharing examples of how real small businesses are already using Meta's tools to reach those shoppers, along with actionable guidance for your business.
• And for small businesses ready to invest in holiday advertising: for every $1 an advertiser spends on Meta, they earn an average of over $4 back¹ . The Meta Holiday Playbook: Small Business Edition can help you get started.

The holiday season is the biggest sales opportunity of the year — a projected $1.4 trillion retail moment, with ecommerce growing 2.5X faster than in-store sales² . We want to help small businesses make the most of it.

That’s why today we're introducing the Meta Holiday Insights Center: a free hub with new consumer research and platform benchmarks to help you understand how your customers plan to shop this season. Inside, you'll also find the Meta Holiday Playbook: Small Business Edition, a step-by-step guide for when you're ready to run holiday ads.

For a preview of what to expect, below we're sharing some of the insights from our new study of 14,473 holiday shoppers across 18 countries — along with examples from real small businesses already using Meta's tools to reach them, and suggestions for how your business can start getting ready for the holidays today.

1. Your Social Presence Is a Powerful Storefront

The insight: 85% of shoppers using Meta technologies have bought something in-store after seeing it on social media, with nearly a third doing so frequently³ . Your Facebook Page and Instagram profile are where holiday shoppers decide what to buy.

What your business should do today: You don't need an ad budget to show up this holiday season. Start with the basics:

• Make sure your Facebook Page and Instagram Business Profile are complete and up to date with your holiday hours, contact info, and products.
• Post short-form videos consistently. Download the Edits app to create engaging Reels in minutes: show your products in action, share behind-the-scenes holiday prep, or spotlight a customer favorite.
• Responding to comments builds trust that turns browsers into buyers.

2. Turn Messages Into Sales

The insight: 59% of shoppers using Meta technologies have messaged a business directly during the holiday season, using Messenger, Instagram Direct, and WhatsApp as primary channels³ . And they're not just asking questions: shoppers use messaging to discover products (33%) and even complete payment (26%)³. Messaging isn't just for customer service anymore — it's where sales happen.

The inspiration: Lauren Petrullo, Founder, Asian Beauty Essentials:

What your business should do today: Make sure you're never losing a sale because a customer couldn't get a quick answer:

• Messenger: Build deeper relationships with customers using tools that help you instantly respond to messages. Automate your responses with welcome messages and away messages, and customize your FAQs so visitors can easily get the answers they need.
• Instagram Direct: Turn on AI auto replies to allow your AI to automatically respond to messages from your selected audience, so customers get a response even when you can't be there.
• WhatsApp: Download the WhatsApp Business app with built-in tools to showcase your products, greet people the moment they start a conversation, and respond with ease — even when you're away.

They're all free, take minutes to set up, and help make sure no customer slips away because they couldn't get a quick answer.

3. Let AI Lighten the Load This Holiday Season

The insight: Last year nearly 1 in 4 global shoppers used AI for holiday shopping, and that looks set to be even higher this shopping season³. AI is changing how people shop — and it can also help you keep up.

The inspiration: Vanessa Ugalde, Owner, Piedra Nómada (jewelry and decorations business):

What your business should do today:

• Learn more about Meta Business Agent, announced earlier this year and continuing to roll out globally. It's AI that lets every business show up for every customer, in every moment: answering questions specific to your business, making product recommendations from your catalog, closing sales, and surfacing insights based on what your customers are saying — so you can focus on running your business during the holiday rush.
• Connect your AI tools directly to your ad account. If you’re running Meta ads, you can use the Meta AI business assistant for personalized guidance, issue resolution, and campaign recommendations — right inside Ads Manager and Meta Business Suite. And with Meta Ads AI Connectors, you can also create, manage, and analyze your holiday campaigns from the AI tools you already use.

4. Collaborate With Creators in Your Community

The insight: 94% of shoppers using Meta technologies look to creators for holiday shopping guidance, and 57% say creator content directly influences their purchases³ . You don't need a celebrity partnership: a local creator with an engaged community can drive real results.

What your business should do today:

• Browse Instagram's Creator Marketplace to discover creators who align with your brand and audience.
• Turn organic creator content into a holiday ad. Request permission in Partnership Ads Hub to run a creator's post as a partnership ad so they gain broader exposure, and you get authentic creative that’s built to perform.

And later this year, we’re launching Meta’s Creator Marketing Hub, which will bring together Creator Marketplace and Partnership Ads Hub into a single place so you can move from discovery to activation in one place.

5. Ready to Advertise? The Results Speak for Themselves.

The insight: Holiday shoppers using Meta technologies are ready to spend: 49% plan to increase their holiday spending compared to last year³. And the returns for businesses who advertise on Meta are strong: for every dollar an advertiser spends, they earn an average of over $4 back, up 25% since 2022¹ .

The inspiration: Nathan Daggett, CMO, Live Bearded: