The link between social media and online shopping

Now, in a more competitive environment than ever before, retailers need to better understand the nature of online shoppers in order to gain an advantage if they are going to succeed in the market of the future- the digital shopping mall.  

 

Several studies conducted by specialist online marketing research agency, Columinate, demonstrate that the social media habits of South African consumers provide important insights to their online shopping behaviours and, in most cases, are a good indication of their likelihood to purchase online or not. The proprietary social media segmentation tool designed by Columinate delivers further insights that can assist retailers in the planning of their online shopping strategies.

 

The value of social media super-users

 

Through the research study, Columinate has identified a group of social media ‘super-users’ who are more active and vocal than any other users. This group comprises 37% of all internet users who like, share, tweet and pin on a frequent basis (several times a week). It is important to note that their conversations include opinions about products and brands.

 

The most vocal of this group are dubbed ‘campaigners’ and they make up around 14% of total online users in South Africa. This segment does not only like and re-tweet in their interactions, but they also create fan pages and blog posts. They hold a big influence on social networks, and collectively have some of the largest numbers of followers and friends online. As such, they represent the greatest opportunity for brands they are positive about, but conversely they are the biggest threat to brands they dislike. 

 

It therefore stands to reason that, due to their frequent online activity and large online following, this group is highly influential in the online shopping arena. 62% shop regularly online, compared to only 44% of the lower-involvement social-networkers. While they may not make up the largest share of social networkers in terms of numbers, they do hold a disproportionately significant influence and their large online networks of friends and followers are regularly and candidly informed of their opinions on products purchased from online shopping sites. 

 

 

Influencing the influencers

 

With these findings in mind, online retailers should take the social networking behaviours of their markets seriously if they wish to better serve the needs of this highly involved group.  

 

Columinate highlights the following implications for online stores: 

 

• Reach them where they are: in order to engage with these influential social media users, retail brands need to connect with them where they spend the most time i.e. online. An incredible 91% of this segment consumes less traditional media than before due to an increase in internet use. The data further shows that Facebook is the most important social network, not only for campaigners, but across all segments, with over 90% penetration in South Africa. 

 

• Take the social media buzz seriously: when testing the effectiveness of paid vs. earned media, heavy social networkers responded as actively to word-of-mouth referrals as when the same message was conveyed via a paid-for advertisement on a social network. In fact, consumers in this group believe advertisements on Facebook to be as credible as those in newspapers, and 20% of them are likely to take action from a paid-for advertisement on this platform.  

 

• Competitions create followers, content creates fans: while most users start following companies on social networks to take part in a competition of some sort, the users that continue to follow the organisation over the long term do so because they are motivated by the content that the brand puts forward. The major motivators for campaigners are that they are able to make comments and view comments from others, as well as receive a response from the companies they are following. 

 

• Mobile shopping channel is a must for these users: engaged social networkers are most likely to use their mobile phones and tablets for their Internet activities, including shopping. Interestingly, this has not happened not at the expense of other devices, such as laptops and desktop PCs, but rather as an additional device in their online repertoire.

 

 

The future of social online shopping

 

“Based on the research, it is clear that the influence of social media on online shopping is established and steadily growing,” says Columinate CEO, Henk Pretorius. “In the near future we will see a trend identified as ‘social shopping’- which actively merges social networking and shopping- come to the fore.

For example, eBay recently launched a campaign called Help Me Shop where online consumers are encouraged to ask their friends via social networks whether they should buy certain items online or not,” explains Pretorius. 

 

“South African retailers have not as yet facilitated social shopping to the same extent, but for those who plan to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving digital world, understanding the social media habits of their shoppers is the first important step to increasing their online shopping footprint,” he concludes. 

 

For more information visit www.columinate.com

 

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Pic: File photo gallo