Over the period of our course we have discussed advertising and if we as individuals pay attention to most of them on Facebook and other platforms. We did find out it was relevantly low, and that not many advertisements gain the number of hits or clicks they would like to gain. However, even though we do not pay attention to ads, we do take some time to search for various products with specific brands to our liking.
This leads to many people reviewing, rating, sharing advises and warnings about certain products. thus leading to other customers basing their decision on the vast majority, and mainly friends recommendations. In a recent article I read, about 90% of people go into a store because of what they saw online and about 62% people purchase after researching online.
This vast percentages shows the importance of ratings and sharing behavior online, and how it affects the consumer market. However, I for one can say am not really affected by many social media reviews and ratings of products. Does social media affect your decision making?
Not at all. Reading this I felt like a weirdo because I don’t give a flying rat’s butt about what someone said on the Internet. I check it out and think for myself.
However, I still find it interesting that so many people are being influenced by online reviews and opinions. I might be wrong, but this is great for businesses, isn’t it? If people are following this sheep mentality, then this will reduce fragmentation in terms of opinions and kind of make everyone the same, which would in turn make selling products to these people a Marketeer’s Delight. The less variety of opinions the easier it will be to pawn off a product or to predict its demise.
Cool stuff.
I think that people unconsciously get influenced by advertisements online. It is not that I’m going to buy the same shoes if one of my friends has liked a pair of shoes online, for example. However, when I come across a shop, I might be like: oh I know this brand, I saw someone liking this online. Or: I saw this brand somewhere online. I think that online advertisements help making people getting more familiar with brands even though you haven’t liked or clicked on the advertisements.
I also like the fact that you can keep updated when a specific brand that you like, has new arrivals or sales. When you like a brand on a social media website, you will get recent posts from the brand and can go and buy the things you have seen online, in the shops if you like. I have done that a few times. So actually I think that I am influence by advertisements online to a certain point, but now I know that I’m not the only one!
Same rat’s comment on my side, too. I only follow brands I like because I’ve bought stuff and I know they are good. This is how I shop as well. BUT we do know a lot about social media and media as people who study those things… I mean, there a lot, and I mean, a lot of other people who aren’t aware of so many things! Last year there was this pc virus that took a pic of you with your own camera, posts on a “police” website and says you are going to jail if you don’t pay them 1000E for illegal downloading………………………………… more than 40 000 people in Holland paid…………………. And then we have … Americans. Not saying anything, only just.. putting dots Many people are influenced by these adds, we just don’t hang out with them so we don’t know them. You see this face picture of “OMG this is so amazing!” and you think “Man, that’s fake”, but there’s someone who sees how 103 people liked something and made a “fake” pic and you won’t get it, because you are not so tech-savvy or you easily believe things.
When I am looking for something I compare different homogenous products, different providers and I am also looking for recommendations. Specially when I am reading recommendations I attach huge value to the person who wrote is. In my opinion when I know the one who wrote the review in personal it becomes much easer to assess the value of the recommendation. For example I can ask myself: do I have the same standards and expectations as the person who wrote this review? When writers of recommendations are anonymous or not know to me personally it is much harder to assess the value of the recommendation. Therefore, I can be influenced through shared reviews of people of my network on social media.
I think it does effect my decision making, not for all things but for some. In regards to making purchases of clothing or items for my home, I don’t think so. But when I am planning a trip of some sort, I tend to look at reviews of hotels and hostels, as well as things to do. The opinions of others have usually been helpful and online research can make your better experience for the simple fact that you are more aware. In terms of advertisements from agencies and companies, that rarely influences my decisions because I know those advertisements are profit driven, whereas, users reviewing products or places seldom get compensated for posting their opinion.
-danaitgk