Who’s getting more social media bang from their bargain buck?

userby Amy Rountree

Saving on shopping with retailers who have an improved discount offering has become increasingly and visibly popular over the last few years. No longer sneered at or regarded as cheap;  thrift-focused customers are much more vocal and willing to share where they are finding value on the high streets.

Since sale season is upon us, Maybe* has set two of the UK’s favourite discount stores head-to-head to see how they are using social media to appeal and excite shoppers looking to bag a bargain.

 

 

Looking at the insight through January 2020

All data collected from 1 January 2020. Data correct as of the time of collection and may not reflect the impact of any paid media support, or data accrued since.

Poundland

Posting the same amount as its discount rival, Poundland earns over three times the engagement on a similar number of posts.

Poundland uses its social channels differently. Twitter is an incredibly personal, playful place the brand uses to resolve customer service queries. The business is not afraid of a meme, a tenuous link or a joke.

Instagram houses a beautifully curated and creative grid. Nothing screams discount and the brand’s recognisable green colour palette barely features. This is the space Poundland comes to inspire customers to make their cash go further. The approach earns the business thousands of engagements per post.

 

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A post shared by Poundland Official (@poundland) on

Meanwhile Facebook feels more discount led. Like Twitter the page is playful with its use of bold graphics to showcase offers and contests. But unlike Instagram, the messaging is more direct.

Understanding the brand has a different audience on each social media platform plays out well for Poundland and allows them to appeal to and engage with different customer types.

Poundstretcher

Poundstretcher is active on social media at the same rate as their high street competitor, Poundland. They do not however, achieve the same levels of engagement.

Poundstretcher’s social channels are all branded and recognisable as the discount chain. Though its approach to Instagram, like that of Poundland’s, is much more discreet.

Over on Twitter and on Facebook, the business is a lot less personal than Poundland. Poundstretcher maintains a steady feed and is consistent in tone of voice, branding and its approach. The feed is comprised of the latest contests and offers, as well as some references to popular culture or national events. But there is little difference between how the brand uses Facebook and Twitter.

Though its customers may well be price sensitive, engagement increases when the business opts for a more tongue-in-cheek led message over a price led approach. The business can afford to deviate from discounting when it comes to its content strategy.

The Maybe* benchmarking tool allows us to see who’s been building their audience and creating the most social media content. The Maybe* UK business index compares your social media activity with other businesses in your town, region, sector or industry. Our completely customisable indexing feature is 100% free and open to everyone.

Log into the Maybe* platform to look beyond follower count and get to the really juicy stuff like engagement and social media sentiment. Want to see how you benchmark? Get started for free.

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