Survey: Social Media Not A Big Factor In Holiday Purchases

The power of social media to influence purchase decisions may be overstated, according to a new survey.

According to USAToday, the survey was conducted by market research firm ForSee Results and it found that only 5% of online holiday shoppers report that they were primarily influenced to visit top retailer sites by social media channels.

Meanwhile, 19% were prompted by promotional e-mail and 8% were driven by search engine results.

While social media may be an underwhelming driver, according to the report, mobile is increasingly becoming a factor. Fourteen percent of shoppers have used their phones to access the website or mobile app of a major retailer. However, only 2% of mobile shoppers actually bought something over their phones.

ForSee's survey was based on about 10,000 responses from consumers from November 29 to December 15. The report also found Amazon.com and Netflix tied for the highest satisfaction score and six online retailers, including BestBuy.com and Target.com, tied for last.

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