Nielsen Study Underscores Need for Businesses to Embrace Real-Time Communication
Nielsen, the television audience measurement company, released a study this week highlighting the importance of peer recommendations in the consumer decision-making process. According to their Global Online Consumer Survey of over 25,000 Internet consumers from 50 countries, ninety percent of those surveyed said they trust recommendations from people they know.
The power of word-of-mouth marketing is nothing new, and traditional grass roots programs have always been a part of most consumer brands’ marketing campaigns. But what is new are the channels that marketers have at their disposal to drive word-of-mouth in a much more targeted and effective way. Social networks like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have all become integral communications channels in consumers’ lives and play a role in how they share information, including information about the products and services they consume.
The important thing for e-tailers and other online businesses to consider is how they can impact not only consumer opinion in a positive way through things like customer service, superior product design and functionality, sponsorships and the like, but then also how to tap into consumers’ new communications channels to facilitate the process of viral marketing within peer networks and ultimately influence the purchase process.
Can your consumers easily distribute and talk about products they like, leveraging the major social networks? Have you integrated consumer ratings and reviews on your site? And do you empower your customers to communicate with their peers ON YOUR SITE, in REAL TIME, where they’re most likely to be at the critical point in their decision about whether or not to buy?
Given the overwhelming importance of getting advice from friends and family as underscored by the most recent Nielsen study, sites allowing real-time communication for customers and their friends (and even customer service experts) will eventually be the norm rather than the exception. The question now is which brands will innovate early and gain an advantage in the marketplace, and which ones will be late to the game.