This year has been no different than past holidays, as I received countless coupons and special offers from top retailers via mail over the past several weeks. This has been the traditional way for retailers to drum up business during the holidays. And, although I may still actually use some of these coupons, this shouldn’t be the only way that retailers try to connect with consumers.

Given the current economy, offering coupons and special offers is a must, but advertisers only utilizing direct mail are missing a large piece of the pie. Consumers now use multiple sources of media, providing numerous ways for advertisers to connect with searchers. I recently read a blog from Experian Hitwise about consumer behaviors during the holidays. Experian Hitwise is a leading, global online-competitive-intelligence service that measures the largest sample of Internet users worldwide.

The blog provided data in support of social networks and what impacts they can have for retailers. As the blog pointed out, traffic from Facebook and Twitter to retail sites increased significantly, 36 percent and 15 percent (respectively), the day before Black Friday, as consumers prepared for the next day’s shopping extravaganza. Some of the sites that received the most traffic included online retailers Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and Toys ‘R Us. In addition, this traffic was an increase, compared to the same time last year, showing that the use of social networks continues to grow.

In an eMarketer study about social networking, nearly one-half of online holiday shoppers (45 percent) will use social networks to research items, compare prices and look for offers. So what is going to drive these social networkers to retailers? The study found that 60 percent of consumers who plan to use social media in their holiday shopping will be looking for discounts, coupons and sales.

I think the message to retailers is clear: You can no longer reach consumers through one media outlet. Consumers are using multiple sources, including social networks when making buying decisions (especially during the holidays). And the best way to influence them is through coupons and special offers.