Appliance Shoppers Make Active Social Networkers

This week, we look at a specific vertical category of shoppers and the role that social networks plays in the purchase process. I chose appliances because there are some very interesting findings that illustrate how social media can impact purchases.

Appliance shoppers discuss appliance companies and products for a variety of reasons, but some of the highlights include:

• Appliance shoppers are most likely to compare prices (46 percent), talk about sales or special deals (42 percent) or seek advice on what to purchase (41 percent)
• Compared to the other ten verticals, appliance shoppers are most likely to provide feedback to a brand/retailer (33 percent) and connect with customer service (27 percent)
• Appliance customers are more likely to talk about where to purchase appliance products online rather than offline

Appliance shoppers are also very interested in receiving an assortment of content on social networking sites, ranging from printable coupons to new product announcements. Some of the highlights include:

• Thirty-five percent are interested in receiving new product announcements and product information on social networking sites
• Appliance customers are most interested in receiving some type of financial incentive whether it is an offer to win “points” or online currency redeemable for products or prizes (48 percent), or printable coupons (46 percent) 
• When it comes to receiving notifications about sales or special deals, appliance shoppers led all verticals, including apparel

In addition to being active social media users, appliance shoppers are also likely to connect with appliance brands/retailers on social networking sites. In fact, 35 percent of those questioned follow at least one appliance company on either Facebook or Twitter.

Some of the reasons why they fan or follow an appliance brand/retailer include:

• Thirty-six percent decided to fan/follow an appliance company because a friend recommended they do so, and 30 percent decided to fan/follow an appliance brand/retailer because a friend had already done so
• Forty percent of recent appliance purchasers decided to fan/follow a company because they are loyal customers to the brand/retailer
• They are most likely to fan/follow an appliance company because of a sales announcement (42 percent)

Social media can also greatly impact appliance shoppers during the purchase process. For example, 24 percent of appliance shoppers have made a purchase as a result of a friend’s recommendation on a social networking site. Some additional highlights include:

• Sixty-one percent purchase more from appliance brands/retailers they are fans of rather than other companies they are not fans of
• Fifty-two percent said that since becoming a fan of appliance brands/retailers, they make more purchases than they used to
• Twenty-one percent of appliance customers have switched or boycotted a brand/retailer based on negative information posted on a social networking site

The appliance report contains an array of findings that can assist companies in better understanding how their customers use social networking sites. Leveraging social media can increase sales, deepen customer loyalty and strengthen brand awareness.