Bad news, everyone.
A recent survey found that your company’s social media campaign—if your company falls into one of the nine categories surveyed—will only influence the purchase decisions of 5 percent of social media users.
The nine categories were travel, banks and financial services, clothes and shoes, restaurants, cell/mobile services, personal care products, cars and trucks, groceries and food, and prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs.
The survey, by Knowledge Networks, also found that only 16 percent of social media users claimed they’re more likely to buy from companies that advertise on social sites.
Knowledge Networks surveyed Internet users between the ages of 13 and 54. Eight-three percent of those surveyed said they participate in social media Web sites, 47 percent on a weekly basis.
When I visit Facebook or Twitter, I’m usually not looking for advice on what to buy. Although I do interact with brands on Twitter—not so much Facebook—which adds up when it comes time to make a purchase a decision.
Here's an example. Orbitz was never my first stop when I started shopping for travel deals online. However, I started following Orbitz on Twitter, because I heard it tweets good deals. I haven’t booked airfare or hotel in, well, too long, but the near daily interaction with Orbitz on Twitter has inspired me to make it the first place I check for low fares.
And I promise Orbitz didn't entice me to write that, because—phew—it just sounded like I was slinging their product. Guess that's the power of social media, or else the power of a dreary Chicago morning in June. Either one.
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Comments (1)
Here's a different take: Social Media doesn't influence your decision to buy anything. It enables your decision to be influenced by others. SM is a tool, a construct, not an "influencer". The reason it's so important in the decision making process (and don't assume that means the same thing as going to CNET to check flat screen reviews) is that so much of social media is opt-in and of our own construct that we set ourselves up to be influenced by those whose opinions we trust. It's not that Sm is the place we go to "research" for our decision but it has major impact because of its very nature. A subtle but major difference.
Posted by Michael J Pratt | June 2, 2009 12:45 PM
Posted on June 2, 2009 12:45