Facebook family and friends influence purchase decisions the most

A December 2013 survey of nearly 10,000 women found that when it comes to making purchase decisions, Facebook recommendations from friends and family have the highest impact. The influence of friends and family was followed, in descending order, by professionals, website reviews, acquaintances, and bloggers, bottoming out with celebrities, who had the greatest impact on only 11 percent of purchasing decisions.

The survey also found that 68 percent of respondents trusted Facebook, a higher rank than Pinterest, YouTube and Twitter.

How should brands react to these new findings? First, companies need to explore tactics that prompt consumers to share more of their personal stories. Second, brands that focus their social media strategy on bloggers and influencers may want to recalibrate their outreach.

Starmark’s special approach to experiential marketing has driven personalized social media outreach for a variety of brands. Contact your Starmark pro today for more details.