Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Social media and peer-generated content are crucial to selling online
- Video helps sell products and build relationships
- Building trust is essential
- Product reviews are paramount
- What’s next: More buying directly through social media, richer product reviews
Social Media and Product Reviews and Online Shopping – Overview
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- More spending is shifting from stores to online
- Consumers are always connected
- Social media is a part of our lives
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- Figure 1: Social media usage, February 2018
- Social media posts can drive spontaneous purchasing
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- Figure 2: General social media pre-purchase browsing, by select demographics, September 2018
- The trust issue
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- Figure 3: Trust in social media product content, by online shopping frequency, September 2018
- How product reviews factor in
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- Figure 4: Pre- and post-purchase product review activities, September 2018
- Incorporate product reviews in to social media
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- Figure 5: Video product review consumption, by generation, February 2018
Social Media – Initiatives by Platform
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- Shoppable posts
- Chat lists on Facebook
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- Figure 6: Facebook Messenger retailer list example, October 2018
- Image-based shopping
Social Media – What You Need to Know
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- Videos are popular before and after purchasing
- Small discounts can encourage social media posts
- A little help from consumers’ friends
Social Media – Pre-purchase Browsing
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- YouTube outpaces other channels for inspiration
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- Figure 7: Social media pre-purchase browsing behavior, by platform, September 2018
- Who’s browsing on each platform?
- Social media plays a role across all categories bought online
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- Figure 8: Social media pre-purchase browsing, by product categories bought online; furniture, home decor, electronics/appliances September 2018
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- Figure 9: Social media pre-purchase browsing, by product categories bought online; beauty items, footwear, clothing/accessories, September 2018
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- Figure 10: Social media pre-purchase browsing, by product categories bought online; groceries, personal care products, and household products, September 2018
Social Media – Pre-purchase Activities
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- Just press play
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- Figure 11: Pre-purchase active engagement, September 2018
- Younger consumers watch product videos
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- Figure 12: Product video usage as pre-purchase activity, by age, September 2018
- Dads want to hear from others on social media
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- Figure 13: Product recommendation solicitation on social media, by parental status by gender, September 2018
- Consumers “like” a good discount on Facebook
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- Figure 14: Pre-purchase active engagement, by product categories bought online; furniture, home décor, electronics/appliances, September 2018
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- Figure 15: Pre-purchase active engagement, by product categories bought online; groceries, household products, personal care products, September 2018
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- Figure 16: Pre-purchase active engagement, by product categories bought online; beauty items, footwear, clothing/accessories, September 2018
Social Media – Post Purchase
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- Videos keep consumers engaged after buying
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- Figure 17: Post purchase online activities, September 2018
- Dads are sharing and commenting about products on Facebook
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- Figure 18: Post-purchase social media posting behaviors, by parental status and gender, September 2018
- Rewards drive younger consumers to post on social media
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- Figure 19: Likelihood to post on social media if offered a future discount, by gender and age, September 2018
- Negative experiences can drive negative perceptions online
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- Figure 20: Attitudes and behaviors around negative social media posts, by online shopping frequency, September 2018
- Social media is viewed as a last resort for customer service
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- Figure 21: Social media customer service outreach, by parental status, by age, September 2018
- Facebook is most popular for customer service inquiries
- Rapid response
Social Media – Future Purchasing Drivers
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- Friends help retailers stand out with older consumers
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- Figure 22: Attitudes toward paid social media posts, by generation, September 2018
- Social media drives impulse purchasing
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- Figure 23: Attitudes toward social media and impulse purchasing, by gender and age, by Hispanic origin, September 2018
Product Reviews – What You Need to Know
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- Two thirds of all online shoppers read product reviews
- Shoppers pay close attention to review details
- Show more size information, images from users
- Feature reviews that tell how to use a product
Product Reviews – Usage and Attitudes
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- Two thirds of online shoppers read product reviews before buying
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- Figure 24: Pre-purchase product review usage, by generation, September 2018
- Reading beyond the star ratings
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- Figure 25: Attitudes toward online product reviews, September 2018
- Negative reviews and lack of reviews deter younger women
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- Figure 26: Attitudes toward online product reviews, by gender and age, September 2018
- Omnichannel browsing creates loyalty
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- Figure 27: In-store online product review usage, by gender and age, September 2018
- Verify accuracy of reviews to build trust
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- Figure 28: Reasons why consumers don’t read product reviews, September 2018
Product Reviews – What Consumers Value
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- Quality, product size, user experience, and user-generated content matter
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- Figure 29: Product review content that consumers value, September 2018
- Quality – Review quality tops quantity
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- Figure 30: Attitudes toward product review quality, by generation, September 2018
- Sizing – Women value information about how clothes, furniture fit
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- Figure 31: Attitudes toward product size information in product reviews, by gender, September 2018
- User experience – Parents of younger children want to know how others used products
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- Figure 32: Attitudes toward user experience information in product reviews, by parental status and age of children, September 2018
- User generated content – More frequent online shoppers have higher interest
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- Figure 33: Attitudes toward user-generated content in product reviews, by online shopping frequency, September 2018
- Combine quality and quantity of reviews with how customer service issues were handled
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- Figure 34: TURF analysis – Attitudes toward product reviews, September 2018
- What’s in style
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- Figure 35: Information consumers want to see more of in product reviews, September 2018
- Tell consumers how to use a product and where other reviewers are from
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- Figure 36: Desire to see more information in product reviews on occasions where clothing can be worn and geographic location, by parental status, September 2018
Product Reviews – What Consumers Will Share
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- Consumers are open to sharing personal information
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- Figure 37: Information consumers are comfortable sharing in product reviews, September 2018
- Younger consumers are willing to share more personal information
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- Figure 38: Attitudes toward sharing clothing size, geographic location, or images in product reviews, by generation, September 2018
How Consumers Read Product Reviews
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- Evaluating a sample review
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- Figure 39: Product review examples
- Consumers want to know that a product works and performs
- Going beyond price
- A picture is worth a thousand words
Product Reviews – Why Consumers Would Consider Writing in the Future
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- Positive experiences lead consumers to review products
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- Figure 40: Reasons for writing product reviews in the future, September 2018
- Older consumers are motivated to write reviews to help others
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- Figure 41: Better informing others as a reason for writing product reviews in the future, by generation, September 2018
- Rural consumers want to support smaller businesses
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- Figure 42: Reasons for writing a product review in the future, by geographic area, September 2018
- Reaching out, appealing to consumers’ desire to help others can drive more to write reviews
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- Figure 43: TURF analysis – Reasons for writing product reviews, September 2018
- How consumers would approach writing a future online product review
- Focus on functionality
- Helping others
- Detail oriented
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Terms
Appendix – The Consumer
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- Figure 44: Social media usage, by generation, February 2018
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- Figure 45: Table - TURF analysis – Attitudes toward product reviews, September 2018
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- Figure 46: Table - TURF analysis – Reasons for writing product reviews, September 2018
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