Sunday, September 28, 2014

Only 5% of US Adult Internet Users Make Purchases Via Social Media Sites


In a September 26th article on eMarketer.com, results from a poll conducted by Harris Poll for DigitasLBi provided insight into why such a small number of US adult internet users make purchases via social media platforms. In fact, the poll revealed that only 5% of US adult internet users had made a purchase on a social network such as Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

Regardless of age range, there are two primary reasons why adults do not make more purchases through social networks:

1.     They are concerned with the security of their credit information
2.     They don’t want what they purchased to be shared through social networks

Aside from the two primary concerns listed above, adults would be more likely to make a purchase via a social network if the purchase price was under $25.00, if there was a “click-to-buy” function that allowed the user to make a purchase without leaving the site, and if the user’s payment information could be saved so that the user didn’t have to enter the information each time.

The poll dove further into adult internet users’ incentives for making a purchase via a social network, revealing that price is a main factor. On average, 54% of respondents said that price was a major factor in making a decision to purchase via a social media platform. An average of 35% (with decreased likelihood across older age ranges) even said that they would use a hashtag when making a purchase via a social media platform if it provided a discount on their purchase.

Much can be learned from this poll in regards to how brands can address the barriers to purchase. According to the poll, an average of 26% of adults would consider making a purchase via social media sites. With only 5% of adults currently making purchases, this presents an opportunity for those brands that can proactively address users’ concerns.


How to Make Social Commerce More Appealing

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