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Bloggers Trusted More Than Celebrity Endorsements - CRM Magazine

According to a new study from BlogHer, people are now more influenced by the opinion of a blogger than a celebrity when it comes to learning about products or making a purchase.

The BlogHer 2011 Social Media Matters Study, co-sponsored by Ketchum, also shows that 78 percent of female American adults online actively use social media, and of those, 20 percent are motivated to consider products promoted by a blogger they know and trust than by promotions featuring a celebrity (13 percent).

"Over the last four years we have measured and reported the growing trust women have in the bloggers they read, and how that translates directly into influence and purchasing decisions," said Elisa Camahort Page, BlogHer co-founder and chief operating officer. "In 2011, we can see that this trust has paid off, as readers report that high satisfaction with the results of such purchases regularly sends them back to blogs and social media to seek out recommendations by bloggers they trust."

This year’s survey shows that blogs play an increasingly influential role in people's purchasing decisions:

• Fifty-three percent of U.S. women blog readers have purchased a product based on a blog recommendation. That number soars to 80 percent of the BlogHer population.
• The general population trusts blog advice because of their satisfaction with past purchases based on blog recommendations.
• The top three types of products the general population seeks reviews and recommendations for on blogs are consumer electronics (35 percent), computer hardware/software (33 percent) and movies (33 percent). Among the BlogHer community, the priorities shift to food/beverage (67 percent), clothing/shoes (67 percent), and movies (62 percent).
• Forty-seven percent of U.S. blog readers tap into blogs to find new trends or ideas, 35 percent to find out about new products, and 25 percent for help with a purchasing decision.

"With social media being viewed as one of the most promising media vehicles by CMOs and other senior marketers, the findings in this study will be particularly useful in developing strategic marketing initiatives," said Kelley Skoloda, partner/director of the global brand marketing practice at Ketchum. "Consumers are adopting social media and digital applications at unprecedented rates, so marketers have more opportunities than ever for two-way conversation and relationships. Marketers must seize these opportunities now or risk falling behind their competitors in the race for online consumer engagement."

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Bloggers Trusted More Than Celebrity Endorsements - CRM Magazine

How the Internet Changes the Selling Process | Media & Telecommunications Internet & WWW from AllBusiness.com

How the Internet Changes the Selling Process

Thanks to the Internet, your customers are now better informed than ever before -- about your company's products and services, and about pricing. And well-informed customers can't help but dramatically affect the sales process for your small business.

In this new information-rich sales environment, you have no choice but to become better informed yourself, about pricing, competition, and much more. And you also have to do everything possible to enable these customers to quickly and easily find and buy what they want from you, no matter what channel they use: online, over the phone, or in person.

Before the rise of the Internet, sellers held the advantage in terms of information. We knew our products and services, and our competitors, better than our customers did. But now, it's incredibly easy for customers to evaluation everything -- pricing, products, service, financing, reputation, etc. -- before they even contact your company.

The bigger the purchase, the greater the likelihood that the customer has done extensive research before making buying decisions. If you sell consumer electronics, for example, you can expect customers to know the specs and to have read multiple reviews. If you're selling cars, more and more customers have zeroed in on the model they want and have a good idea of what they should expect to pay before ever visiting a dealership. That lowers the importance of the salesperson, test drive, and negotiation process.

Savvy businesses try to leverage these changes, not fight them. Using the Web to let customers configure their cars or home theater systems -- or try on eyeglass frames virtually without visiting the store -- can not only boost physical foot traffic, but also make for more satisfied customers.

To do that requires a real commitment to using the Internet to share information about your company and what it sells. This means everything from creating a complete, easy-to-use website to making sure that shoppers, as well as search engines, can find it.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a critical component. You need to make a concerted effort to have your site show up near the top of search results for the most relevant keywords. Be sure to read How to Choose an SEO Company for Your Website for advice on how to get noticed online.

Once potential customers get to your website, make sure it meets their needs. Employ marketing copy that is short and clear, with liberal use of bulleted lists, useful illustrations, and diagrams. Instructions should be as simple and idiot-proof as possible. Similarly, ordering should be drop-dead easy. These are people trying to buy your stuff. Make it easy for them! Be honest -- testimonials should never be faked, and you don't want to promise anything you can't deliver. Finally, make sure the site isn't littered with errors, typos, broken links, and other turnoffs for shoppers.

Make it simple for customers to contact you, and respond quickly when they do. Just acknowledging their inquiry is the bare minimum. Better yet, actually answer their question.

The Web may be the most important medium for communication with customers, but printed brochures and other collateral still have a place. Make sure that they mesh with your website, with similar design elements and up-to-date information.

The bottom line is that customers now arrive at your doorstep, whether it’s real or virtual, knowing a great deal about what they want and what you have to offer, as well as what your competition can do. If you want to get the sale, your job is to help customers on both sides of the equation -- and to do it better than your competitors.

Source: How the Internet Changes the Selling Process | Media & Telecommunications Internet & WWW from AllBusiness.com