Study: Influencers, social media ads drive direct sales while voice lags

Brief:

Of the nearly two-thirds (63%) of online shoppers that have clicked on a social media ad, 33% made a direct purchase, according to a survey by cloud computing company Episerver. Meanwhile, just over half (52%) of online shoppers who also use social media have clicked on an influencer's post, and 31% of them made a direct purchase after viewing the post.
The survey also found that the percentage of online shoppers who use voice platforms to make multiple purchases a month grew to 17% this year from 11% in 2017. Forty-three percent of consumers cited a lack of security features as the top reason to avoid voice shopping, followed by a lack of product images (35%) and difficulty comparing products on the devices (33%).
Twelve percent of shoppers use social media to find inspiration when they don't have a specific product in mind for purchase, while 11% will look at a brand's website, the survey of 4,500 online shoppers worldwide found.

Insight:

Because online shoppers have grown increasingly reliant on social media to discover products with the rise of influencers and brands' leaning in to social content, mobile marketers need to develop strategies to reach those consumers when they're ready to make purchases. That's especially true for marketers that seek to reach tech-savvy millennials and Gen Zers. Seventy-eight percent of online shoppers ages 37 and under have clicked on a social media ad, and 34% of that group have gone on to make a direct purchase. By comparison, of the 50% of online shoppers older than 37 that have clicked on a social media ad, 30% went on to make a purchase, the survey found. This highlights how brands can adjust their social strategies depending on their target audience's preferences and favorite platforms.

Along with social media's role in driving brand engagement and sales, voice shopping has grown more popular with tech giants' push to get voice-powered smart speakers into more homes. That newly expanded user base has led the percentage of online shoppers who use voice platforms to research products to nearly double to 22% this year from 12% in 2018. A key hurdle now is converting those "window shoppers" into paying customers.

"The jury is still out on whether users will ever fully embrace a purchase avenue where they can neither see nor touch products — a major roadblock for voice," per Episerver.

Mobile marketers also need to create compelling content for their websites in order to stand out. While online shoppers may turn to popular marketplaces like Amazon and retailers like Walmart for low prices, they appreciate when brands and retailers offer memorable experiences and educational content that they can't get elsewhere. A quarter of online consumers said they enjoy the product information the most when it comes from a brand or retailer's website, compared with just 11% who say they favor product information from Amazon or a similar marketplace.