Roughly two-thirds of consumers who visit or read blogs say that their purchasing decisions are influenced by brand mentions or promotions within the blog’s content, according to [pdf] survey results released in June 2012 by Burst Media. The 18-34-year-old age group proves most swayed, with about 8 in 10 readers of both genders saying they are influenced by brand mentions in blog content. Beyond this age group, though, women appear more influenced than men. For example, within the 35-54 age group, women are 24% more likely than men to be swayed by brand mentions or promotions within blog content (65.8% vs. 52.9%), while those in the 55+ group are 51% more likely (43.6% vs. 28.8%).
Overall, 57% of the survey respondents report reading blogs. Mothers (61.3%) are the most active consumers, followed by men (56.1%) and other women who are not mothers (55%). Roughly 3 in 4 mothers say their purchase decisions are influenced by mentions or promotions of brands within a blog’s content.
By comparison, survey results released in March 2012 by BlogHer indicated that 61% of women who are active blog users say they have made a purchase based on a recommendation from a blog.
Social Media Also Has Influence
Data from Burst Media’s “Let’s Get Social” reveals that 46.6% of all respondents indicate that recommendations made by social media friends and followers are either very or somewhat influential with regards to brand preferences and/or purchasing decisions. This sentiment is is most prevalent among 35-44-year-olds (60%), followed by 18-34-year-olds (50.1%), 45-54-year-olds (29.9%), and those aged 55 and older (also 29.9%).
Survey results released in June by Ipsos show that 18% of US consumers – including 23% under 35 – have bought a brand because their friends like or follow the brand on a social network.
Display Ads Lead to Fans
Further data from the Burst Media report indicates that 1 in 4 respondents – including slightly less than one-third of mothers – are either somewhat or very likely to follow a brand-name product or service on social media if they see it promoted in a display ad displayed on a content site. Youth are most likely to respond in this way to display ads: 32.3% of the 18-34 set are likely to follow a brand if they see it promoted in an online ad, compared to 23.4% of 35-54-year-olds and 13.8% of those aged 55 and older.
Other Findings:
- Women are more active on social media than men, with 49% of the former and 34% of the latter visiting social media sites at least a few times per day. Mothers in particular are avid users, with close to 3 in 5 visiting with that frequency.
- 37.1% of the survey respondents report spending all or most of their online time on content sites, compared to 16% who say they spend most of their time on social media sites. Among mothers, the gap is narrower (29.2% vs. 21.7%).
- More than 3 in 5 respondents at least occasionally like or follow their favorite content sites on social media, with women more likely than men to do so (66.4% vs. 56.9%). Mothers are also active followers, with 7 in 10 either frequently (27.4%) or occasionally (43.2%) following content sites on social media.
- About 1 in 2 respondents either frequently or occasionally like or follow brand-name products or services on social media, while roughly 2 in 5 never do so. 18-34-year-olds and mothers (both at 58.1%) are more likely than the average to like or follow a brand.
- The most popular reason for following a brand is to show support, cited by 4 in 10 of respondents overall. Keeping up with the latest content is also popular, particular among mothers (50.1%).
About the Data: The Burst Media data is based on a survey conducted in May 2012 of 1,453 US online adults aged 18 or older.
