Smart Phones, Social Networking and Sales
It is not a rare thought or idea for an individual to consult with friends and peers before making a purchase. Even if it is a completely new product to try out or a recommended alternative to an existing favorite, retail purchases are heavily influenced by who and what we surround ourselves with.
Before, these immediate factors were people who lived together and people who worked or went to school together. Proximity was an important factor for word of mouth. Even in the early days of mobile phones, people still relied on direct, one-on-one conversations to get a recommendation through.
These days, you do not even have to be directly talking to a friend to influence their decisions for the coming weekend. Take movies for example, all it takes is a well timed Tweet or Facebook status update about how you felt about the latest blockbuster film that premiered this week and the information is automatically sent to everyone with live status updates –and chances are, that is a lot of people.
The retail industry and the world of market has been turned inside out by the emergence of social networking and smart phone technology. The two elements combined formed into a very powerful medium. After all, social networking may sound good and all, but if internet access was limited to desktop computers, it would not be as influential as it is today, where people can access online content anytime, anywhere.
Commercial research firm Gartner has finished a recent intensive study on the behavioral patterns of consumers, determining what factors will most likely influence a purchase. While friends and contacts were expected, the use of social networking is certainly something that changes the game for many marketers.
Of course, many had not missed out on the marketing capabilities of social networking and smart phone technology, a vast majority of commercial companies and brands are being advertised on Facebook and Twitter.
