Research 11/7 - School of Business Study Finds that Facebook and Twitter Symbols Subconsciously Influence Online Buying Decisions

Source:

 School of Business Study Finds that Facebook and Twitter Symbols Subconsciously Influence Online Buying Decisions
http://www.bus.miami.edu/news-and-media/recent-news/townsend-social-media-12.html

My Topic:
During marketing, SNS is a tool that marketers should consider.

What I hope to learn from this source:

Even if one doesn't see any thing on SNS, just its icon affects people's decision when they do shopping. SNS' icon induces people to buy the products.

Notes:

The display of a social media icon such as a Facebook “Like” button or a Twitter symbol on a shopping website increases the likelihood that consumers will buy some products, and reduces the likelihood that they will buy others.

“Our study finds that the mere presence of social media icons on a web page where we shop appears to cause us to feel as if our purchases are being watched by our social network, and we adjust our buying decisions accordingly,” said Claudia Townsend, an assistant professor of marketing at the School of Business, who conducted the research with Emperica’s David Neal. “Marketers should be aware that the placement of these symbols in their web design strategy could have a major impact on buying behavior.”

• When the product was one for which public consumption is desirable (e.g., sportswear or a desirable fragrance) the presence of the Facebook and Twitter icons made people 25 percent more likely to purchase. But when the product was more private in nature (e.g., Spanx, Clearasil), the icons suppressed purchase intentions, also by 25 percent.

• The impact on intended buying behavior emerged regardless of whether people had any memory of having seen the social media icons. This suggests that these symbols have penetrated people’s unconscious processes and can influence decisions and behavior in ways that may bypass our awareness and ability to control.

Final Thoughts:

Before I read this article, I only think that SNS marketing is effective when people see the promotion of products on SNS. However, even if they don't see it, just SNS' icon induces them to buy the products.