Social Media Posts by Peers Influence Millennials to Buy

Social Media

February 4, 2014 -- Young adults are much more likely than older adults to be influenced by their friends’ social media posts about products and services, finds a January 2014 survey conducted by independent market researcher Harris Interactive for The Webby Awards, as reported by eMarketer:
 

• Nearly seven of 10 (68%) 18-34 year-old social media users surveyed were "somewhat" to "very likely" to make a purchase thanks to seeing a friend’s positive post regarding a product or service.

• On the flip side, 78% of senior social media users (age 65+) say they were "not at all likely" to make a purchase based on what they saw on their friends' posts.
  
   

Graphic source: eMarketer, 2014

• 45% of all social media users ages 18-34 say they've shared photos or thoughts about a new product/service they've tried on social media.

• The majority of posts on social networks about new products and services came from women; half (50%) of Millennial females share "sometimes" to "often," and 52% of females, ages 35-44, post about purchases at least sometimes.

Graphic source: eMarketer, 2014

• 62% of social media users between the ages of 18-44 say they are at least somewhat likely to make a purchase based on a friend's social media post.

• 56% of American adults ages 18-44 say they have been the first among their friends, colleagues or family members to try a new product or service.

About: This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of The Webby Awards from January 8-10, 2014 among 2,018 adults ages 18 and older, of whom 807 were between the ages of 18-44. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

Source: eMarketer, Millennials' Social Media Posts Influence Peers to Buy New Products, Feb. 4, 2014.