Social networks consolidate their influence on purchasing decisions of customers. The study of Walker Sands, shows us how our activity in the Social Media can determine which products eventually end up in the shopping cart.

According to the “2014 Future of Retail Study”, more than half of respondents have taken into account YouTube videos when deciding what to buy. Online video is positioned as one of the main types of content that users demand. Nielsen reported in February that 2 out of 3 users refer to it to learn more about the products that interest you.

For its part, Facebook, the social network with the largest presence among consumers, continues to maintain its leadership, 2 out of 3 customers trust the information and recommendations about products is here. A percentage that compares the effectiveness of this platform 2.0 to blogs, or websites of retailers (63%).

Moreover, the presence of options becomes increasingly noticeable. Its high visual component makes it an attractive source of inspiration; making 17% of customers have discovered some new product that collects content thanks to their boards.

Walker Sands data highlight the interest of consumers to know all the news and discover new products. 60% of respondents admit that interacts with brands through social networks. 65% do so to obtain first hand this information today, while 24% also goes to them for customer.

This indicates an increase of engagement through social res, without thereby lower the interest of the public to get offers and promotions, which remains the main incentive that leads them to follow a brand on channels 2.0 (78%) . For this purpose, 55% of customers use Facebook, while 21% prefer Twitter and 10% choose to Pinterest.

As we can see, social media is a trusted channel for customers in finding information about products that you are interested in buying. It is a medium where information bidirectionally, where brands have no absolute control over the message, nor do they hold as broadcasters the exclusive information, which gives greater credibility to the shared experiences and recommendations flowing.