Survey: 95 million Americans using social media to shop

Chicago -- Forty-two percent of Americans are using social media to shop – this equates to nearly 95 million consumers – and that number continues to rise, according to a study by Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide. When asked how often social media is used to shop today versus a year ago, almost 73% of people confirmed they are using it more.



The study, “SocialShop,” found that people of all ages are using social networking sites and other user-generated content platforms as shopping tools, with 42% of social shoppers using Facebook more than they were a year ago. Fifty-five percent of shoppers are utilizing daily deals more and 46% have increased engagement on review sites and forums.



According to the research, success is not measured by visibility on all social media channels, but by leveraging the strengths of platforms that cater to your shoppers’ needs.



“It’s no secret that social media is top-of-mind among brands. What isn’t widely known is how brands should use social media to serve the needs of shoppers,” said Masha Sajdeh, senior VP strategy director at Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide.



Using social media in the wrong way can have a negative impact on relationships. Forty-four percent of social shoppers said they had stopped interacting with brands on Facebook due to lack of relevant or valuable posts.



“People assign a different purpose and expectation to each social media channel they use,” Sajdeh said. “Once marketers understand how people use social to shop, they can hone their marketing strategies and cater to different shoppers’ needs to drive engagement now and in the future.”



The researchers also identified six shopper archetypes reflecting the needs and habits of today’s social shoppers, and made recommendations on how brands can best reach them.



View the complete findings from the study here. http://www.slideshare.net/LeoBurnettWorldwide/social-shop-research-overview