Big things come in small packages!

The National Retail Federation's 2011 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions survey found that holiday shoppers will spend an average of $155.43 on gift cards this year! As a matter of fact, spending on gift cards and certificates alone are expected to reach $27.8 billion! The NRF found that eight in ten Americans will be giving a gift card to a special someone on their list this year, with respondents indicating they prefer the convenience of purchasing gift cards than actual items.  

And according to the Wall St. Daily "Retailers are also using gift cards to create loyalty with their consumers." 

Did you know... 

Hubspot recently emerged with some refreshing research! 

The experts found that SMBs plan to spend 19 percent of their marketing budgets on social media, while larger businesses plan to spend only 6 percent! Equally noteworthy: SMBs anticipate spending 10 percent of their budgets on blogging, whereas larger companies are only dedicating 3 percent! 

While it's true that 3 percent for larger businesses may be quite a different number from SMBs' 10 percent, the primary message behind this finding is what impressed us most: that SMBs are dedicating a significant portion of their budgets to marketing via social networks and blogs!

Hubspot also provided insight on The Value of Social Media in Gift Selection.  Next time you say, "We don't need social media," take a look at this infographic from MrYouth.com. Two-thirds of respondents said they made a purchase based on an interaction via social media with recommendations leading to a purchase.

The best advice today? I have two:

1. Add gift cards to your ecommerce catalog so you can capitalize on this tremendous opportunity!
2. Leverage the social media channels.