Approximately 67 percent of Twitter users click through a Tweet that leads to a branded Web site, while 56 percent of Facebook users go on to a branded Web site because of a Facebook post, according to a study from comScore, Shop.org and Social Shopping Labs that measured shopping habits influenced by social media.
Shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation, polled approximately 1,787 adult online shoppers in April 2011 on shopping directly influenced by social media. The research showed that shoppers are willing to interact with retailers through a myriad of social networks, leaving it up to retailers to use this to their advantage.
NRF was not available to comment for this story.
Social shopping
Many luxury brands have Facebook and Twitter sites that are used to foster CRM and help to push promotions and products.
Approximately 42 percent of online consumers “follow” retailers via Facebook, Twitter or a blog. The average person follows six retailers, per the study.
Additionally, 58 percent follow companies to find deals, 49 percent want to keep up-to-date on products and 39 percent follow retailers for information on contests and events.
Indeed, brands such as Marc Jacobs, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Diane von Furstenberg often use Twitter to push products, post information and promote contests and events (see story).
More than half of Facebook users click through to a retailer’s Web site because of a Facebook post and even more Twitter users attribute a branded Tweet to the reason to click through to a Web site.
Furthermore, a little more than one-third of shoppers say that they are likely to directly purchase from Facebook, while 32 percent of Twitter users agree.
Social through mobile
The amount of shoppers using mobile commerce through social media is also growing.
For instance, 42 percent of Twitter users access the site on their mobile phone at least once a day, as do 34 percent of Facebook users.
This could probably lead to transactions via mobile.
The study also found that approximately 32 percent of people view YouTube clips from their smartphones.
Nearly half of the consumers surveyed have accessed customer reviews via mobile when deciding whether to make a purchase in-store.
Fifty-five percent of men are more likely to access reviews via mobile, compared to only 39 percent of women.
Group-buying sites such as Gilt City, Groupon and LivingSocial are known to approximately 82 percent of online consumers, and 57 percent have spent over $100 through these sites.
Social media is proving to be one of the most beneficial ways for luxury brands to become noticed and to move product.
Although the majority of a luxury brand’s target audience may not be on social media, the channel still serves to connect younger consumers with the brands as well as build brand awareness.
