Study: User-generated social images generate sales

Edison, N.J. - Consumers are turning to user-generated social media images and videos to help them make purchasing decisions. According to a new study of more than 500 online shoppers from Dotcom Distribution, more than half of respondents (54%) have used social media to find photos or videos of a product they were thinking of buying within the past year.



Sixty-one percent of those consumers said the research convinced them to make a purchase. Almost 40% of online shoppers have shared an image or video of a product on social media, and branded packaging plays a big role in the decision. More than 40% of consumers said branded packaging makes them more likely to share a product image or video on social media, and consumers are 1.5 times more likely to share pictures of gift-like boxes than traditional brown boxes.



Additionally, more than a third of online shoppers said premium packaging impacts brand perception, and 60% of that group feel that high-end packaging makes a brand seem more upscale. Forty percent of online shoppers said branded packaging makes them more likely to recommend a product to friends.



Other findings include:



• Thirty-six percent of consumers have watched an “unboxing” video, in which shoppers record and share the act of unpacking a product, and 55% of that group have purchased a product as a result.



• Among consumers who have shared pictures or videos of a product in branded packaging on social media, 84% have done so on Facebook, followed by Twitter (32%), Instagram (31%, YouTube (28%) and Pinterest (20%).