Don’t Underestimate Social Media’s Buying Influence

Study shows that Facebook is the most influential platform for those making shopping decisions.

July 08, 2015

DALLAS – A retailer’s social media activity has a greater impact on shoppers than the company’s website, according to the findings of a new study by marketing technology provider Epsilon. The firm’s 2015 Digital Shopping Tool Impact Study found that shoppers cite Facebook as the most influential platform when it comes to making shopping decisions.

Pinterest and Google+ also make an appearance as heavy influencers, while Twitter is much less influential in the shopping process overall, with the exception of Millennials who cite it as quite influential. This matters since, not surprisingly, social media in general is particularly influential with Millennials compared to other generations like Baby Boomers or Gen X.

Similar to past studies conducted by Epsilon, this year’s shoppers point to shopping apps as the tool most likely to improve their shopping experience, by facilitating the process and making them feel like a “smart shopper.”

More than any other tool, when shoppers discuss using shopping apps, they talk about them in the context of going to the store or being at the store. Additionally, the study shows that the shopping apps most often used by consumers are those that belong to a specific retailer, rather than a brand or third-party.

The study also looked at coupon use, showing that — despite the emphasis of online technology —downloading and printing coupons is still a fairly universal phenomenon and one that shoppers continue to find rewarding and influential.

More than 40% of Millennials report using paper coupons, compared to 60% of Boomers. Of those shoppers using printable coupons, Millennials are even more likely than Boomers to say the coupons influenced them to buy products they hadn’t planned, to try new products and to choose one store over another.

One new shopping behavior uncovered by the study is the growing habit of shoppers first finding the item they want to buy and then searching to find a specific coupon to apply to the purchase, as opposed to the typical coupon shopping journey.

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