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Social shoppers are people who use social media to learn about, interact with, and purchase brands. That may not sound remarkable, but they have completely reframed the idea of a full, engaged life and the shopping experience that results. They are also changing the rules of shopping as they go.

The world of the social shopper is a richly connected network of people, brands, products, retailers and channels. There are distinct benefits to being this socially plugged-in. Not surprisingly, their numbers are on the rise, as are their activities.

The opportunity this presents to marketers is mostly untapped. How to navigate this new world and activate this new breed of shopper? The answers lie in an understanding of social behaviors and channels, and how they interact to influence shoppers.

Such knowledge has been scarce up to this point. As part of an ongoing program to understand shoppers and their behaviors, we executed a national survey among 1,500 online Americans and 700 social shoppers, and in-depth qualitative research with 24 additional social shoppers.

We present here the top discoveries we made.

Who’s Who

Shopping Like They Live. Virtually everyone in the United States, age 13 and over, uses social media. Forty-five percent have made it part of their shopping life. Yet a small group, only 14 percent, account for 58 percent of social shopping. We call them Heavy Social Shoppers, because they’re the most likely to engage with brands in the social space. They’re the ones to watch if we want to gain insights and design social-media marketing strategies.

There is an additional, important group called the Selective Social Shoppers. They index much lower than the Heavies for engaging with brands via social media, yet they drive an additional 38 percent of social shopping. Add up the activities of the Heavies and the Selectives, and they account for 96 percent of social shopping.

What separates these groups from the rest of the population? They go to more social-media channels than the general public, incorporate new channels, and use them in creative ways throughout their shopping journey. Social media are part of their lives, and so is shopping. So, all they’re doing is combining two things that are part of their everyday lifestyle. They shop like they live. It’s what they do naturally.

Seeking the Peak Shopping Experience. It’s important to ask why people are social shoppers in the first place. Answer: to maximize the shopping experience. Social shoppers look for peak experiences in every part of the shopping journey. But that’s a desire we all share. They just happen to have discovered a new power source to get there, one that lets them do more than ever before. They can — and do — interact with retailers, brands and products in whole new ways.

Hyper-Connected Hyper Influencers. Social shoppers capitalize on their connectedness, leveraging their network to get the most shopping power and best shopping experience. They pay special attention to what friends have to say about brands and retailers. In particular, they rely on a kind of heavy social shopper we call the Hyper Influencer.

Hyper Influencers are disproportionately influential in the social-shopping world. They have a higher volume of social connectivity. They are more vocal about brands, products and services on social channels. They aggregate information, filter it and disseminate it, sharing the best pieces with their network and friends. They ensure that others don’t miss out on anything good, and provide new ideas and influence during the purchase process.

Half of all Heavies are Hyper Influencers, meaning the Hypers represent only seven percent of the United States, age 13 and over. Yet they produce an astounding 78 percent of user-generated shopping content in social media. It is their videos, Twitter tweets and reviews that all social shoppers encounter when they engage with social media.

Hyper Influencers are different from other social shoppers. They are more willing to accept social messages from brands and stores. The sheer volume of this information does not overwhelm them. They manage it with ease and purpose, being more likely to make and take brand recommendations (see chart one).

Hypers have the most distinct demographics among social shoppers. They tend to be younger, with more than 60 percent of them under age 30. Sixty-three percent are male. And they are the most ethnically diverse, with more African-American, Asian and Hispanic participants.

What drives their behavior? They have a greater need to be in-the-know than other social shoppers. They are hyper-connectors, driven by a need for culturally relevant knowledge, which they absorb and disseminate to their network via multiple social-media channels. They are the engine of social shopping, powering a dynamic interchange between their network and retailers, brands and products.

Channels and Choices

Social Shopping Highways. There is a direct relationship between the number of social media with which a person engages and how involved he or she is in social shopping. The more social media channels, the more likely that person is to engage in social shopping.

Nearly all social shoppers use Facebook, YouTube and Amazon regularly. These channels tend to be the “gateways” that people use when they first get involved with social media.

Hyper Influencers are different. They place their focus on low-usage penetration social media like Twitter and “geo-location” apps like Foursquare and Facebook Places to follow and engage with brands.

Hypers are also different in that they are the only segment integrating their social shopping behaviors across channels. For example, they are most likely to share YouTube video links or embed them into other media, share “crowdsource deals” with others through Facebook or Twitter, and log into Facebook through Amazon.

Your Place in Their World. Where does your brand belong in the world of social shoppers? How likely are they to interact with your brand in different social-media channels? It depends on the brand category and the “risk/reward” associated with it.

“Burden” categories include higher-cost functional objects like electronics, appliances, computers and cell phones. They’re highly considered purchases, so social shoppers are likely to check them out on review websites and, to an extent, YouTube. However, except for enthusiasts of these categories, social shoppers generally don’t perceive the rewards as high enough to engage with these brands on Facebook or Twitter.

“Entertainment” and “passion” categories are highly personally rewarding, and the most likely to be engaged with on Facebook, and to an extent, Twitter. Categories skewing highest on Facebook include fashion, coffee shops, retailers such as Walmart, quick-service restaurants, ice cream and cereal.

“Routine” categories are least likely to be engaged with on any social-media channel. People spend little time thinking about these brands and make fast decisions. Examples: trash bags, laundry detergent, toothpaste and batteries. These are not the things that people post about or discuss among their social networks.

Bottom line: You need to know where your brands and products lie within the risk/reward framework to develop the right strategy.

Different Spokes for Different Folks. Not all social-media channels are alike. Shoppers use social media in different ways to accomplish different things (see chart two).

Facebook is perceived as providing the greatest variety and depth of experience in engaging with brands, products and stores. It excels at providing a space for a true dialogue with friends and family about brands.

On Facebook, social shoppers act as “connectors,” disseminating their endorsements of brands and experiences to their social circle. But they also view Facebook as a personal and private space because of these intimate connections. Brands entering this world may be seen as too pushy or disruptive: “There’s nothing worse than when I’m trying to catch up with what my friends are up to and there are a bunch of news-feed items from a company.”

Forty-four percent of social shoppers said they had stopped following a brand on Facebook because they heard from it too frequently or felt a lack of relevance or value in the brand’s updates. Yet, social shoppers still do like to connect with brands on Facebook, but you must post meaningful, creative content about your brand, not just coupon offer after coupon offer, or else you risk losing followers.

YouTube has the highest usage penetration of measured social-media channels, with 68 percent of Americans, age 13 and over, saying they use it.

YouTube is not just about entertainment. Social shoppers see it as a review site. Research participants reported visiting YouTube to determine what “real people” are saying about products and to watch videos to ensure that the features will work as promised. Those “real people” use YouTube as a forum for personalized expression, including how they feel about brands: “I’ll go to CNET for the technical reviews on, say, a cell phone, but then go to YouTube to see what actual users of the product say.”

Few social shoppers subscribe to many brand channels on YouTube, but there is potential for brands to create relationships with users by providing rich video content. For example, a YouTube brand channel could feature videos of power users demonstrating product features, troubleshooting, and so forth.

Twitter. Only 15 percent of the United States, age 13 and over, uses Twitter. In contrast, 57 percent of Hyper Influencers use it regularly. They follow brands they like or have heard about via tweets from their friends and family. Hyper Influencers love being insiders, and they love sharing their finds with their broader social networks. Twitter serves this purpose well.

They also like the ability to experience brands on their own terms. Again, Twitter delivers. As one research participant said about Toppings, her favorite yogurt shop, “I’ll say to myself, ‘what’s the flavor of the day?’ and then check them out on Twitter.”

Crowdsource Deals. According to our research, people are excited about deals from Groupon and Living Social and the ability to discover local mom-and-pop gems that weren’t previously on their radar. They enjoy both the immediate thrill of getting an unexpected deal and having fun experiences with people. “I did buy a wash and blow dry from Groupon and I saved $10, and also bought my best friend a wash and blow dry, as well. That way we bonded and shared an experience.”

Compared to other social-media channels, “crowdsource deals” was the clear winner in terms of saving money and introducing shoppers to new brands.

The one negative is bad surprises: Sometimes the offers do not fit with a given shopper’s interests. Shoppers also told us they don’t see the need for everyday, low-cost items like toothpaste to be featured. The cost savings aren’t enough to get involved. There is also a desire to take advantage of deals not perceived as unnecessary luxuries or utterly wasteful. “I buy the massage offers because I’d use them anyway.”

Geo-Location Apps. Geo-location app tools like Foursquare and Facebook Places face three big hurdles: Scale (only four percent of the United States, age 13 and over, currently use them); consumer privacy concerns; and people not recognizing their benefit.

Some opportunities do exist. Growth in scale is anticipated. Consumer privacy worries around revealing a location fade when consumers know they can get something in return, such as a big discount for checking in somewhere. Shoppers are also discovering the benefits of seeing where their friends check in. These check-ins are seen as a bona fide recommendation. As these tools become more commonly used, a clearer benefits profile will emerge.

User Review Sites. User reviews are the social- media sites most likely to drive actual purchases. Social shoppers turn to user review sites to get credible endorsements, i.e., the opinions of “regular people,” to discover the real story on brand performance.

Sites most often used for collecting user reviews include Amazon, Yahoo Answers, Yelp! and YouTube. Social shoppers consult user reviews most often for electronics, books, computer hardware/software, mobile phones and restaurants — categories perceived as having high risks.

Connected or Rejected. Social media is a brave new world of marketing, full of promise and potential pitfalls. The prospects of entry might seem daunting, for example:

• Engaging sophisticated Heavy social shoppers and Hyper Influencers.

• Being prepared for social shoppers when they arrive at the many channels and points-of-engagement.

• Creating a social-media strategy that works for a brand’s risk/reward profile.

• Leveraging the different strengths and benefits of the various social-media channels.

However, our research tells us the benefits of entry will be worth it. A few simple rules offer guidance:

• Engage social shoppers broadly and play by their rules as you seek and nurture the Hyper Influencers.

• When you make a mistake, own up to it quickly and improve.

• Carefully consider the appropriate times, places and ways to connect.

The last rule is the most important, because it is about the dearest thing to social shoppers: the power of connection. Connectedness is their ultimate shopping tool. You risk banishment if you do not connect the right way. Approach it thoughtfully, and a new world of marketing opportunities will open itself to you.



	MAY / JUNE 2011 \| PDF \| Subscribe \| Home


	Shop Social, Live Total

	*Social shoppers redefine the shopping experience.*

	Social shoppers are people who use social media to learn about, interact with, and purchase brands. That may not sound remarkable, but they have completely reframed the idea of a full, engaged life and the shopping experience that results. They are also changing the rules of shopping as they go. The world of the social shopper is a richly connected network of people, brands, products, retailers and channels. There are distinct benefits to being this socially plugged-in. Not surprisingly, their numbers are on the rise, as are their activities. The opportunity this presents to marketers is mostly untapped. How to navigate this new world and activate this new breed of shopper? The answers lie in an understanding of social behaviors and channels, and how they interact to influence shoppers. Such knowledge has been scarce up to this point. As part of an ongoing program to understand shoppers and their behaviors, we executed a national survey among 1,500 online Americans and 700 social shoppers, and in-depth qualitative research with 24 additional social shoppers. We present here the top discoveries we made. Who’s Who Shopping Like They Live. Virtually everyone in the United States, age 13 and over, uses social media. Forty-five percent have made it part of their shopping life. Yet a small group, only 14 percent, account for 58 percent of social shopping. We call them Heavy Social Shoppers, because they’re the most likely to engage with brands in the social space. They’re the ones to watch if we want to gain insights and design social-media marketing strategies. There is an additional, important group called the Selective Social Shoppers. They index much lower than the Heavies for engaging with brands via social media, yet they drive an additional 38 percent of social shopping. Add up the activities of the Heavies and the Selectives, and they account for 96 percent of social shopping. What separates these groups from the rest of the population? They go to more social-media channels than the general public, incorporate new channels, and use them in creative ways throughout their shopping journey. Social media are part of their lives, and so is shopping. So, all they’re doing is combining two things that are part of their everyday lifestyle. They shop like they live. It’s what they do naturally. Seeking the Peak Shopping Experience. It’s important to ask why people are social shoppers in the first place. Answer: to maximize the shopping experience. Social shoppers look for peak experiences in every part of the shopping journey. But that’s a desire we all share. They just happen to have discovered a new power source to get there, one that lets them do more than ever before. They can — and do — interact with retailers, brands and products in whole new ways. Hyper-Connected Hyper Influencers. Social shoppers capitalize on their connectedness, leveraging their network to get the most shopping power and best shopping experience. They pay special attention to what friends have to say about brands and retailers. In particular, they rely on a kind of heavy social shopper we call the Hyper Influencer. Hyper Influencers are disproportionately influential in the social-shopping world. They have a higher volume of social connectivity. They are more vocal about brands, products and services on social channels. They aggregate information, filter it and disseminate it, sharing the best pieces with their network and friends. They ensure that others don’t miss out on anything good, and provide new ideas and influence during the purchase process. Half of all Heavies are Hyper Influencers, meaning the Hypers represent only seven percent of the United States, age 13 and over. Yet they produce an astounding 78 percent of user-generated shopping content in social media. It is their videos, Twitter tweets and reviews that all social shoppers encounter when they engage with social media. Hyper Influencers are different from other social shoppers. They are more willing to accept social messages from brands and stores. The sheer volume of this information does not overwhelm them. They manage it with ease and purpose, being more likely to make and take brand recommendations (see chart one). Hypers have the most distinct demographics among social shoppers. They tend to be younger, with more than 60 percent of them under age 30. Sixty-three percent are male. And they are the most ethnically diverse, with more African-American, Asian and Hispanic participants. What drives their behavior? They have a greater need to be in-the-know than other social shoppers. They are hyper-connectors, driven by a need for culturally relevant knowledge, which they absorb and disseminate to their network via multiple social-media channels. They are the engine of social shopping, powering a dynamic interchange between their network and retailers, brands and products. Channels and Choices Social Shopping Highways. There is a direct relationship between the number of social media with which a person engages and how involved he or she is in social shopping. The more social media channels, the more likely that person is to engage in social shopping. Nearly all social shoppers use Facebook, YouTube and Amazon regularly. These channels tend to be the “gateways” that people use when they first get involved with social media. Hyper Influencers are different. They place their focus on low-usage penetration social media like Twitter and “geo-location” apps like Foursquare and Facebook Places to follow and engage with brands. Hypers are also different in that they are the only segment integrating their social shopping behaviors across channels. For example, they are most likely to share YouTube video links or embed them into other media, share “crowdsource deals” with others through Facebook or Twitter, and log into Facebook through Amazon. Your Place in Their World. Where does your brand belong in the world of social shoppers? How likely are they to interact with your brand in different social-media channels? It depends on the brand category and the “risk/reward” associated with it. “Burden” categories include higher-cost functional objects like electronics, appliances, computers and cell phones. They’re highly considered purchases, so social shoppers are likely to check them out on review websites and, to an extent, YouTube. However, except for enthusiasts of these categories, social shoppers generally don’t perceive the rewards as high enough to engage with these brands on Facebook or Twitter. “Entertainment” and “passion” categories are highly personally rewarding, and the most likely to be engaged with on Facebook, and to an extent, Twitter. Categories skewing highest on Facebook include fashion, coffee shops, retailers such as Walmart, quick-service restaurants, ice cream and cereal. “Routine” categories are least likely to be engaged with on any social-media channel. People spend little time thinking about these brands and make fast decisions. Examples: trash bags, laundry detergent, toothpaste and batteries. These are not the things that people post about or discuss among their social networks. Bottom line: You need to know where your brands and products lie within the risk/reward framework to develop the right strategy. Different Spokes for Different Folks. Not all social-media channels are alike. Shoppers use social media in different ways to accomplish different things (see chart two). Facebook is perceived as providing the greatest variety and depth of experience in engaging with brands, products and stores. It excels at providing a space for a true dialogue with friends and family about brands. On Facebook, social shoppers act as “connectors,” disseminating their endorsements of brands and experiences to their social circle. But they also view Facebook as a personal and private space because of these intimate connections. Brands entering this world may be seen as too pushy or disruptive: “There’s nothing worse than when I’m trying to catch up with what my friends are up to and there are a bunch of news-feed items from a company.” Forty-four percent of social shoppers said they had stopped following a brand on Facebook because they heard from it too frequently or felt a lack of relevance or value in the brand’s updates. Yet, social shoppers still do like to connect with brands on Facebook, but you must post meaningful, creative content about your brand, not just coupon offer after coupon offer, or else you risk losing followers. YouTube has the highest usage penetration of measured social-media channels, with 68 percent of Americans, age 13 and over, saying they use it. YouTube is not just about entertainment. Social shoppers see it as a review site. Research participants reported visiting YouTube to determine what “real people” are saying about products and to watch videos to ensure that the features will work as promised. Those “real people” use YouTube as a forum for personalized expression, including how they feel about brands: “I’ll go to CNET for the technical reviews on, say, a cell phone, but then go to YouTube to see what actual users of the product say.” Few social shoppers subscribe to many brand channels on YouTube, but there is potential for brands to create relationships with users by providing rich video content. For example, a YouTube brand channel could feature videos of power users demonstrating product features, troubleshooting, and so forth. Twitter. Only 15 percent of the United States, age 13 and over, uses Twitter. In contrast, 57 percent of Hyper Influencers use it regularly. They follow brands they like or have heard about via tweets from their friends and family. Hyper Influencers love being insiders, and they love sharing their finds with their broader social networks. Twitter serves this purpose well. They also like the ability to experience brands on their own terms. Again, Twitter delivers. As one research participant said about Toppings, her favorite yogurt shop, “I’ll say to myself, ‘what’s the flavor of the day?’ and then check them out on Twitter.” Crowdsource Deals. According to our research, people are excited about deals from Groupon and Living Social and the ability to discover local mom-and-pop gems that weren’t previously on their radar. They enjoy both the immediate thrill of getting an unexpected deal and having fun experiences with people. “I did buy a wash and blow dry from Groupon and I saved $10, and also bought my best friend a wash and blow dry, as well. That way we bonded and shared an experience.” Compared to other social-media channels, “crowdsource deals” was the clear winner in terms of saving money and introducing shoppers to new brands. The one negative is bad surprises: Sometimes the offers do not fit with a given shopper’s interests. Shoppers also told us they don’t see the need for everyday, low-cost items like toothpaste to be featured. The cost savings aren’t enough to get involved. There is also a desire to take advantage of deals not perceived as unnecessary luxuries or utterly wasteful. “I buy the massage offers because I’d use them anyway.” Geo-Location Apps. Geo-location app tools like Foursquare and Facebook Places face three big hurdles: Scale (only four percent of the United States, age 13 and over, currently use them); consumer privacy concerns; and people not recognizing their benefit. Some opportunities do exist. Growth in scale is anticipated. Consumer privacy worries around revealing a location fade when consumers know they can get something in return, such as a big discount for checking in somewhere. Shoppers are also discovering the benefits of seeing where their friends check in. These check-ins are seen as a bona fide recommendation. As these tools become more commonly used, a clearer benefits profile will emerge. User Review Sites. User reviews are the social- media sites most likely to drive actual purchases. Social shoppers turn to user review sites to get credible endorsements, i.e., the opinions of “regular people,” to discover the real story on brand performance. Sites most often used for collecting user reviews include Amazon, Yahoo Answers, Yelp! and YouTube. Social shoppers consult user reviews most often for electronics, books, computer hardware/software, mobile phones and restaurants — categories perceived as having high risks. Connected or Rejected. Social media is a brave new world of marketing, full of promise and potential pitfalls. The prospects of entry might seem daunting, for example: • Engaging sophisticated Heavy social shoppers and Hyper Influencers. • Being prepared for social shoppers when they arrive at the many channels and points-of-engagement. • Creating a social-media strategy that works for a brand’s risk/reward profile. • Leveraging the different strengths and benefits of the various social-media channels. However, our research tells us the benefits of entry will be worth it. A few simple rules offer guidance: • Engage social shoppers broadly and play by their rules as you seek and nurture the Hyper Influencers. • When you make a mistake, own up to it quickly and improve. • Carefully consider the appropriate times, places and ways to connect. The last rule is the most important, because it is about the dearest thing to social shoppers: the power of connection. Connectedness is their ultimate shopping tool. You risk banishment if you do not connect the right way. Approach it thoughtfully, and a new world of marketing opportunities will open itself to you.


	LISA DIEHLMANN is svp, digital strategy, at Leo Burnett and Arc Worldwide. She has more than 15 years of digital marketing and product development experience across numerous industries.

	MAY / JUNE 2011 \| PDF \| Subscribe \| Home