Although social media marketing holds no quantifiable value, a series of statistics will help businesses to understand how important social media is to their success. A positive online reputation formed from a strong social-media presence will be critical to future sales and customer retention.
Read reviews, compare prices and learn more about the managers and employees of the business.
Most consumers spend a considerable amount of time online researching services and products. With a wealth of information available through a simple Google search, it’s convenient to seek out insight into these results.
In fact, 91 percent of individuals have visited a business because of an online experience.
Updated website and social-media profiles to encourage business from both your current and prospective customers
If consumers are unable to find pertinent information about your business, they’ll buy from a business that does. Their time is well spent conducting research about a potential purchase. Take advantage of their interest and establish a solid online reputation.
89% of consumers conduct their research using search engines. (Source: PR Newswire)
High quality blog posts and other forms of content also tend to rank well.
Social-media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and YouTube rank remarkably well with Google and other search engines. These sites typically land on page one of search results for businesses of all sizes. You have a major opportunity to share information on these social-media
62% of consumers end up making a purchase in-store after researching it online. (Source: Marketing Land)
When a potential customer takes a few minutes to research a service or product online, it will likely result in a purchase. Your digital channels should serve as a helpful guide for consumers who are making a decision. Otherwise, they will with the competition.
72% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. (Source: Search Engine Journal)
What does that mean? Seventy-two percent of consumers trust a stranger’s opinion just as much as one given by a friend or family member.
Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Yelp are all excellent places to encourage your audience to leave a review. Here are a few other interesting statistics that signify the importance of the Internet in shaping consumer opinions.
- 78% of consumers say that the posts made by companies on social media influence their purchases.
- 81 percent of those surveyed said that social-media posts of friends were an influence on their consumer purchases.
- 75 percent of consumers don’t hold traditional advertisements as truthful.
That last statistic is particularly telling in terms of today’s consumer. Many companies still lean heavily on print and magazine advertisements, TV and radio commercials and other tried-and-true methods of securing attention. Consumers are typically dismissing traditional advertising as a fabrication of a business’s products or services.
There is no more effective way of improving your business’s online reputation than establishing a solid of high-quality content in the form of websites, blogs and social-media profiles. Use all the tools at your disposal to gain the upper hand in your competive market. If necessary, an online reputation management company can provide guidance into this elemental process.