Retailers’ social media activities influence a significant proportion of fans to try new products and make unplanned purchases, according to a September 2012 report from Ryan Partnership. Some 36% of US consumers surveyed who follow a retailer on social media said that the retailer’s updates had led them to try a new product they had not bought before. Similarly, 32% of those who follow a brand on social media reported having been motivated to try a new product. Of note, social media activity may also have an influence beyond just direct fans and followers: a June report from Ipsos found that 18% of US consumers – including 23% under 35 – have bought a brand because their friends like or follow the brand on a social network.
Meanwhile, other tools appear to influence users into product trials, according to the Ryan Partnership report. These include: shopping applications (32%); reviews and recommendations (29%); pre-shop brand sites (also 29%); daily deal sites and brand emails (tied at 26%); and in-store brand sites (25%). Read the rest at MarketingCharts.
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