Online Marketing Winners and Losers

Do social media outlets sell up to the hype?

Tools

By Kirsten Swann

Story Created: Jun 5, 2012 at 6:29 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Jun 6, 2012 at 8:26 AM AKDT

ANCHORAGE – As hundreds of local companies continue to take their business online, recent statistics show not all social media marketing plans are created equal.

According to a study released last week by SteelHouse, a Los Angeles-based commercial research firm, some of the world’s largest social networking sites have only a small effect on consumer spending habits. In fact, only 33 percent of respondents said they’ve bought something seen on Facebook – either advertised or posted by a friend. By contrast, nearly 60 percent of Pinterest users have purchased an item first seen on the beta-version corkboard site.

When it comes to advertisements themselves, the numbers paint an even starker picture: While 64 percent of Facebook users admitted to clicking on an ad on the free networking site, only one in four of the ad-clicking consumers actually went through with a sale.

“Pinterest gives more ideas on different things to do or make,” wrote internet consumer Jennifer Cruz Tuesday on Facebook. “Etsy and Amazon tend to get my dollars for actual objects, though.”
 

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