Despite the various social media platforms brands utilize to promote and sell their products, new research from health, beauty and lifestyle comms agency Rebel Gail Communications reveals that Facebook is decidedly the preferred social media shopping channel for consumers, far surpassing purchases being made through YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Interestingly, men made up a huge portion of shoppers making purchases on social platforms.
The newly released Pandemic Social & Shopping Impact Study, in partnership with 360 Market Research, reveals that social and online shopping trends aren’t as clear cut and include a few surprises. Although there has been a large uptick in overall social media usage, more than half of those surveyed say they have never made a single purchase on social platform. Further, while TikTok has become the hot new platform, Gen Z and Millennials still spend more time on every other social media channel. In fact, every generation from Gen Z to Boomers uses Facebook and YouTube more than any of the other social media sites.
“As brands create their marketing plans for 2021 and the pandemic continues, we knew it was important to gain insight into consumer social and shopping habits. These insights can help brands decide where to spend their marketing dollars and where to create programs depending on which generation they are trying to reach,” said Jessica Goldberg, joint-CEO of Rebel Gail Communications, in a news release.
“When Rebel Gail Communications approached us with their goals of digging deeper into pandemic social and shopping habits of consumers, we knew the data would uncover essential findings for brands navigating their way through the pandemic,” says Pat DePietto, co-founder of 360 Market Reach, in the release. “We were thrilled to support these findings, fueling marketing initiatives with insights to guide 2021 marketing plans.”
The nationwide survey by 360 Market Reach was conducted online within the U.S. among 500 consumers ages 18 and over between September 10 and September 23, 2020. A second wave of the survey was conducted between September 24 and October 7, 2020 again among 500 consumers ages 18 and over.