Promo codes shared by a brand or an influencer were the single biggest driver of holiday purchase intent among consumers surveyed for Sprout Social’s “Q3 2026 Pulse Survey,” cited by 30% of respondents, ahead of targeted social ads at 18%. The finding sits inside a broader survey showing social media has pulled level with physical stores as the top channel consumers use to discover gifts, and pointing to where creator content fits into that funnel more effectively than paid media does.
The survey, conducted by market research firm Glimpse on behalf of Sprout Social between August 11 and August 18, 2026, polled 2,286 social media users across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
What Actually Moves a Purchase
Asked what would make them more likely to buy from a company this holiday season, respondents ranked promo codes from a brand or an influencer first at 30%, followed by posts from a brand showing its product in action (28%) and the originality of a brand’s holiday-specific content (26%). Quality of social media customer service came in fourth (23%), just ahead of content from regular social media users who are not influencers (22%). Targeted social media ads ranked last among the six options, at 18%.
The gap between influencer-linked promo codes and paid advertising, 30% versus 18%, is the widest spread in the ranking. Content from regular social media users (22%) trailed influencer-tied promo codes by only 8 points, landing closer to the top of the list than to the bottom.
Social Media Ties Physical Stores for Gift Discovery
Social media and physical stores are tied as the top-cited source for holiday gift ideas, each at 46%, ahead of recommendations from friends and family (34%), TV (31%), review sites (23%), AI chatbots (15%), print or digital media (13%), and online retailers (2%). Among Gen Z respondents specifically, social media’s share rises to 54%.
Looking ahead to this year, 78% of respondents said they expect to use social media to find gifts to an equal or greater degree than they did in 2025, including 28% who said they intend to use it more. Eighteen percent said they don’t intend to use social media for gift discovery at all.
Consumers Are Split on Buying Directly in the App
On completing purchases inside a social app, such as TikTok Shop, Facebook Marketplace, or Instagram Checkout, 38% of respondents said they have done this before and would do it again, and 19% said they would try it for the first time this year. That puts 57% as either returning or first-time in-app buyers. Thirty percent said they won’t buy directly through a social app, and 13% were unsure.
Originality and Authenticity Rank Above Polish
Outside the purchase-driver ranking, the survey’s brand culture section reinforces the same preference for originality over paid reach. Asked what makes a brand stand out on social media, respondents ranked quality of the product or service first (44%), followed by originality of content (33%) and speed of customer response (25%).
On tone, respondents said they want brands to be less corporate (26%) and less salesy (24%) on social media, and more authentic (50%) and relatable (41%). Eighty-five percent agreed that most companies do a good job keeping up with online culture on social media, and the same share said doing so is important.
The survey also found that 93% of Gen Z consumers say they will use social media the same amount or more than in 2025 for customer service outreach specifically, though that finding sits in the survey’s customer care section rather than its discovery or purchase-driver data.
Table source: Sprout Social The full “Sprout Social’s Q3 2026 Pulse Survey” is available here
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
Promo codes shared by a brand or an influencer were the single biggest driver of holiday purchase intent among consumers surveyed for Sprout Social’s “Q3 2026 Pulse Survey,” cited by 30% of respondents, ahead of targeted social ads at 18%. The finding sits inside a broader survey showing social media has pulled level with physical stores as the top channel consumers use to discover gifts, and pointing to where creator content fits into that funnel more effectively than paid media does.
The survey, conducted by market research firm Glimpse on behalf of Sprout Social between August 11 and August 18, 2026, polled 2,286 social media users across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
What Actually Moves a Purchase
Asked what would make them more likely to buy from a company this holiday season, respondents ranked promo codes from a brand or an influencer first at 30%, followed by posts from a brand showing its product in action (28%) and the originality of a brand’s holiday-specific content (26%). Quality of social media customer service came in fourth (23%), just ahead of content from regular social media users who are not influencers (22%). Targeted social media ads ranked last among the six options, at 18%.
The gap between influencer-linked promo codes and paid advertising, 30% versus 18%, is the widest spread in the ranking. Content from regular social media users (22%) trailed influencer-tied promo codes by only 8 points, landing closer to the top of the list than to the bottom.
Social Media Ties Physical Stores for Gift Discovery
Social media and physical stores are tied as the top-cited source for holiday gift ideas, each at 46%, ahead of recommendations from friends and family (34%), TV (31%), review sites (23%), AI chatbots (15%), print or digital media (13%), and online retailers (2%). Among Gen Z respondents specifically, social media’s share rises to 54%.
Looking ahead to this year, 78% of respondents said they expect to use social media to find gifts to an equal or greater degree than they did in 2025, including 28% who said they intend to use it more. Eighteen percent said they don’t intend to use social media for gift discovery at all.
Consumers Are Split on Buying Directly in the App
On completing purchases inside a social app, such as TikTok Shop, Facebook Marketplace, or Instagram Checkout, 38% of respondents said they have done this before and would do it again, and 19% said they would try it for the first time this year. That puts 57% as either returning or first-time in-app buyers. Thirty percent said they won’t buy directly through a social app, and 13% were unsure.
Originality and Authenticity Rank Above Polish
Outside the purchase-driver ranking, the survey’s brand culture section reinforces the same preference for originality over paid reach. Asked what makes a brand stand out on social media, respondents ranked quality of the product or service first (44%), followed by originality of content (33%) and speed of customer response (25%).
On tone, respondents said they want brands to be less corporate (26%) and less salesy (24%) on social media, and more authentic (50%) and relatable (41%). Eighty-five percent agreed that most companies do a good job keeping up with online culture on social media, and the same share said doing so is important.
The survey also found that 93% of Gen Z consumers say they will use social media the same amount or more than in 2025 for customer service outreach specifically, though that finding sits in the survey’s customer care section rather than its discovery or purchase-driver data.
Table source: Sprout Social
The full “Sprout Social’s Q3 2026 Pulse Survey” is available here
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