Just over half of those polled say they begin product research online before buying anything. Product reviews are still seen as the most influential product purchase decision-maker (32%) and about 34% expect product reviews to be unbiased.
"Social and influencer marketing has grown exponentially over the past few years, because brands continue investing more and more in this strategy," said Meg Scales, CMO of SlickText. "However, it's critical brands don't lose consumer trust by over-promoting products and creating unauthentic sponsored content. Consumers expect real, valuable reviews in channels they trust, like text messaging Influencer marketing truly impacts purchase decisions when done properly."
What is it that shoppers are looking for from influencers? The ability to convey value from the product. To that end, it is important that brands partner with influencers who promote authentically and personally.
As to the overall social media effect on shoppers 9 in 10 shoppers who responded to Sprout Social's recent poll said that they buy from brands followed on social media. Sprout Social's 2021 Index 71% of consumers report using social media more now than in the past, and about half (47%) say customer service is a key part of what they are looking for from brands in the social space.
"This year's Index makes it clear that there is a huge opportunity for marketers to leverage social media and demonstrate how it can positively impact every stage of their customer's experience and nearly every aspect of their business," said Jamie Gilpin, CMO at Sprout Social. "From what competitors are planning next to what customers will want and need in the future, social data empowers marketers to accelerate their brands forward and outpace the competition. Once marketers, and their entire organization, learn to embrace social data, they'll quickly discover their path to rapid growth and innovation."
As to marketers' use of social, Sprout Social's experts found that most 88% believe using social can boost revenue, but that only about 15% are using social data to inform their overall marketing strategy.
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