Retailers, it’s time to help out those of us who still have presents to buy. How? Social media. It’s the fastest, most direct way to let me know what sales you’re running, text me special offers and allow me to contact you directly to find out if the gift I want is in stock.

In a survey conducted by Harris Interactive, 33 percent of cell phone owners ages 35 to 44 are interested in receiving alerts about sales from their favorite establishments. Among 18- to 34-year-olds, that percentage jumps to 42. And yet, only 1 percent of cell phone owners currently receive alerts from retailers. With consumers so willing, retailers need to respond. A retail “Field of Dreams”: If you alert them, they will shop.

Text alerts via cell phones are one method of communicating with your customer. E-mail alerts and Facebook status updates are another. If someone is opting in or fanning you up, they’re letting you know that they want to be kept in the loop — so be sure to respond in kind by announcing special sales and offers via those channels.

In a nationwide poll conducted by market researcher ComScore Inc., 28 percent of shoppers indicated that interactive marketing influenced their gift buying. Customers are looking to connect with retailers outside of the retail environment — and they’ll spend their money with retailers who connect with them. According to retail analyst Jennifer Black, a sportswear retailer based in Vancouver, B.C., reported just last week that it has about 2,000 interactions with customers weekly. For this company, sending e-mail alerts about specific merchandise can drive sales upwards of $6,000.

I see local businesses using social media successfully every day. A local eatery posts its daily lunch menu or weekly special offers on its Facebook page, and its 200-plus fans respond. The fans forego the brown bag lunch, stop in for the fresh soup instead, and share that information with the owners. Better yet, they bring a friend along.

Your shop could be their next stop — if you play your social media cards right. Help your last-minute-holiday shopping fans and followers out. Post a special offer. Tweet gift ideas. Send a text alert of a product discount. Then gauge the response.