How Facebook Friends Influence Purchasing Habits

Whether you’re headed back from the beach or firing up the BBQ as we speak, the last thing we want to do is “bore” you with a long how-to social media post, so we’re going to do something a little different today! What’s that, you ask? We’re going to talk about how Facebook friends influence your purchasing habits with a really cool infographic. Are you ready to be blown away by some amazing facts and fascinating figures? Then read on!

At one point or another, we have ALL based a decision to purchase something on the recommendation from one of our friends. Or maybe you didn’t purchase something because one of your friends had a bad experience with the product and advised you against buying it. Whether we realize it or not, our friends – the “real life” kind and connections we have on Facebook – are extremely influential on our purchasing habits. How influential? Check out this nifty infographic created byPPC Associates to find out!

What does this infographic tell us?

Females in the 25-44 age bracket are most likely to make a purchase based on a Facebook friend’s recommendation. Men 18-24 and 45-54, however, are not as easily swayed, and are the least likely to make a purchase based on a friend’s recommendation. However, that does not mean that they don’t, they just do it less frequently.

And get this: the Northeast has the highest percentage of people who don’t use Facebook, but it also has the highest percentage of people who are most likely to make a purchase based on a Facebook friend’s recommendation. Go figure!

Something else we found interesting was that people in rural areas of the U.S are most likely to use Facebook, but when it comes to making purchases based on a Facebook friend’s recommendation, suburbanites took the cake.

Hold on a sec! What is considered a “recommendation from a friend”?

Recommendations from friends can be direct or indirect. For example, let’s say you’re planning a camping trip but don’t have any camping gear or supplies. Instead of turning to ads on TV or Google search, you put up a post on Facebook asking your friends to comment their favorite outdoor equipment store. In this instance, the suggestions you receive from your friends would be considered direct recommendations (you asked, they recommended). If your friend uploads a photo of a supplement they love (Isotonix® OPC-3, maybe?) along with the caption “Love this stuff! Don’t know how I lived without it before!” and you just happen to see it in your feed, that’s an indirect recommendation. You didn’t ask for it, but you saw it, and since you trust your friend’s opinions more than ads on TV or signs on billboards, you consider purchasing that product, too. Both types of recommendations can be equally influential on our purchasing habits.

Now that you know how influential Facebook friends’ recommendations can be, how will you use this information to build your business with social media? Post your answer in the comment section below!