Young adults are far more likely than the general population to discuss or recommend products and services via social networking, SMS text messaging and IM than the general population, according to [sign-in page] the Colloquy 2011 “Word of Mouth” study. Data from the study indicates 58% of young adults recommend products via social networking communities, making them two-thirds more likely to do so than the general population (35%).
Young Adults 150% More Likely to Recommend via SMS
A lower percentage of young adults (48%) recommends products via SMS mobile messaging, but this figure is about 150% more than the 19% of the general population who do so. Out of “new school” communication methods, young adults are also about 64% more likely to recommend products via IM (36% compared to 22%).
In addition, young adults are more than twice as likely as the general population to make recommendations via microblogging sites, but the percentage is still very low (12% compared to 5%).
Young Adults Still Go ‘Old School’
In a sign of the times, Colloquy classifies cell phone conversations as “old school” communications, and they are the only old school means of communication that young adults (70%) are more likely to use for recommending products than the general population (50%, a 40% difference). However, young adults have at least a 36% participation rate for all other old school communication formats (which also include email!).
When discussing or recommending products or services, young adults use an average of 4.5 different communication methods, while the general population uses 3.9 different methods.
Word-of-mouth Product Convos Decline
Study results indicate a substantial decline in word-of-mouth product/service conversations and recommendations during the past two years. In 2009, 73% of respondents said they often have conversations about products, which dropped about 26% to 58% in 2011.
Similarly, in 2009, 75% of respondents said they often recommend products and conversations by word of mouth, which dropped 32% to 57% in 2011.
Fiscal Situation Impacts Recommendation Likelihood
Generally speaking, consumers with a good financial situation and future are more likely to converse about and recommend products and services. Seventy-one percent of respondents whose household budget is better this year than last often have conversations about products and services, 27% more than the 56% of respondents whose household budget is worse this year. And 63% of respondents with a better household budget often make product/service recommendations, 14.5% more than the 55% of respondents with a worse household budget.
Future financial outlook also affects likelihood. Seventy-four percent of those with a better financial outlook have conversations, 34.5% more than the 55% of those with a worse financial outlook; while 67% of those with a better outlook make recommendations, 22% more than the 55% of those with a worse outlook.
Socializing, New Products Get Advocates Chatting
About eight in 10 (83%) brand advocates, or consumers who habitually share information about products they use, strongly agree they communicate with others online to “meet nice people” and “receive free products,” according to a new study from marketing network BzzAgent. Data from “A Field Guide to Brand Advocates” indicates 75% like “incentives they receive for communicating.”
About the Data: Results are based on completed responses from 3,295 US consumers nationwide. The survey was conducted in December 2010 by the polling firm Toluna.
