How Do You Use Social Media?

This is an interesting survey that I thought I would share and have inserted my own thoughts in red. I would love to hear what you think

TOYS AND APPAREL TOP MOMS’ LIST OF PURCHASES
INFLUENCED BY SOCIAL MEDIA

 Child’s Play Communications’ survey reveals 92% of moms active in social media buy products as a result of a social media recommendation – I would agree with this statement. I can tell you as a mother and person very active in social media I have often purchased items I have seen on them. I rarely watch TV and most of what I hear about is through the internet or social media platform.

NEW YORK, NY, October 25, 2012 – Moms love Facebook — but they TRUST blogs. And 92 percent of moms active in social media are buying products as a result of a social media recommendation. I am a blogger and I do reviews, knowing how and why I do them when I’m looking to purchase a product that I don’t have a recommendation from my family or friends I turn to social media and bloggers first.

Those were among the key findings of a new study, “How Moms are Using Social Media RIGHT NOW — and How You Can Make the Most of It,” conducted by Child’s Play Communications, specialists in connecting companies with moms. The results were presented for the first time at the eighth annual Marketing to Moms Conference in Chicago, October 23-24th.

Child’s Play reached out to the 1200 moms in its Social Savvy research network — almost all of them regularly active on blogs and social networks — to explore five key questions:

• What social media platforms do moms currently favor?
• How has that changed?
• Why?
• What social media platforms are impacting purchasing decisions?
• What products are moms buying as a result of social media recommendations?

Among the study’s findings:

• Facebook, Twitter and blogs were the three most popular social media platforms among moms surveyed
• Pinterest was the platform that most moms (63 percent) tried for the first time this year
• Instagram topped the list of technologies moms (28 percent) were likely to try next
• Polyvore and Olioboard were among the new services these early adopters were exploring
• Moms are spending more time on Facebook than in the past (64 percent of moms) and less time on Twitter (33 percent)
• Of all social media platforms, blogs impacted moms’ purchasing decisions more than any other (80 percent)
• Toys were the No. 1 kids’ product purchased by moms as a result of social media recommendations

“The study results underscore how moms’ immersion in social media has dramatically changed their purchasing behavior,” said Stephanie Azzarone, president, Child’s Play Communications. “Alongside recommendations from family and friends, it is the most valuable tool for companies that want to market to mothers.”

I can see how these numbers ring true. For the most part I feel the same. Though I’m not a fan of twitter and I can see why that would not be a preferred source of Social Media it is still a good source. I spent a morning on twitter to purchase a pair of shoes (that I did not get on time). I enjoy Pinterest and Instragram and am not a fan of Polyvore and have never heard of Olioboard. It is amazing the impact social media has on decisions on individuals. I have seen many things get resolved quickly once social media is involved.