Almost a third of UK mums have decided against purchasing a product after reading a post, comment or review on online, according to a new report and infographic from Diffusion.
The report indicates that brands need to be more conscious than ever of their social media footprint as two fifths (40%) of UK mums admit to having read a post, comment or review online and then decided to purchase the product because of what they had read and almost a third (31%) decided against purchasing a product after reading a negative review.
Diffusion commissioned the UK ‘Social Mums’ 2013 report, surveying over 200 British mothers aged 18-44 years old using YouGov, to analyse their online media habits. (see infographic below).
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Further to the purchasing power of social media, 1 in 4 (25%) mums say that they use parenting forums, blogs and the Facebook and Twitter accounts of parenting/children’s brands to hear about special offers, discounts and promotions and more than a fifth (21%) go online to hear about new products and services.
When it comes to online destinations, parenting forums top our social media list as 15% of mums visit them once a week or more. This is followed by Facebook Fan Pages of children’s/parenting brands (12%), mummy blogs (6%) and finally Twitter pages of children’s/parenting brands (5%).
When asked why they visited these social media platforms, over a quarter (27%) of UK mums said that these sites can be good sources of parenting advice and a further 16% rated them higher than traditional sources (e.g. magazines, newspapers, books and TV). Almost a fifth (19%) went on to say that it feels good to be part of a community and be able to help other people.
Interestingly, 18% felt that it was a great way to connect with other mums and 14% find that that these sites are often a fun place to spend free time.
Tom Malcolm, Head of Consumer at Diffusion, commented: “It is clear from the research that UK mums are placing increasing trust in online forums and social networks as a source of parenting insight. As the research shows, sharing experiences and insight can be a reassuring form of behaviour for many mums, with community advocacy of advice, reassuring many parents that they are doing the right thing. The challenge for brands and publishers is maintaining this positive environment so that further engagement and interaction is encouraged, strengthening and helping these communities grow.”
When asked which products and services they would like to hear more information about on social media platforms, UK mums identified the following as their top 10 priorities:
Source: www.diffusionpr.com
