For marketers, an upside to social media and the inclusion of customer reviews at shopping sites is that firms and their products are more buzzed about than ever. For marketers, a downside to social media and the inclusion of customer reviews at shopping sites is that firms and their products are more buzzed about than ever. HUH?
Yes, companies and their products are being buzzed about more than ever. But today, more of the conservation — good and bad — is controlled by bloggers, customer critics, and others not affiliated with the companies. In many cases, messages by fellow shoppers (“real people just like me”) are even drowning out the voice of professional reviewers.
Click the chart to read more of this story from eMarketer: “A study of consumers who had recently made an electronics purchase, conducted by Weber Shandwick and KRC Research in September 2012, found that shoppers were more likely to pay attention to consumer reviews than professional reviews across every product category. Respondents favored consumer reviews by the greatest margin when buying headphones or earbuds, at 79%. Shoppers were most likely to take a professional critic’s advice when buying a tablet, but still only 39% preferred ‘official’ advice on such a purchase.”
