Dive Brief:

• Research for the J.D. Power 2016 New Autoshopper Study found that more new car buyers are using social media as an information resource, at 22% this year compared to 16% for 2015.
• The most popular social media platforms for automobile research include YouTube at 13%, DealerRater at 7% and Facebook at 5%.
• "Social media plays a large role in many consumers' lives, so it's not surprising that it's one of the tools they're using during the vehicle-shopping process," said Mike Battaglia, vice president, automotive retail at J.D. Power, in a release. "While we would not expect social media sites to compete head-on with designated auto shopping sites like Toyota.com and Kelley Blue Book, it's easy to understand the role and relevance social plays in the automotive shopping process."

Dive Insight:

The J.D. Power research underscores how social media is becoming as much a source of information as a community, and how important it is becoming for brands even for considered purchases such as new cars. Another example of social media becoming a source of information is the rising importance of Facebook’s feed as a primary source of news for its users.

The study pointed out that social media wasn’t as important for car buyers as auto shopping websites, which have more automobile-specific details, but that people are turning to social media for dealer reviews, affirmation from other car owners and watching automobile-related videos, according to Battaglia. Additionally, 34% of car buyers who used social media for research also posted a picture of their new car purchase on social media with Facebook leading the way at 88% followed by Instagram at 21%.

The findings suggest that automotive brands have an opportunity to develop content that consumers find more useful and moves them along the path to purchase.