The research predicted for years that teens and Millenials will rule social media and online consumerism in a big way. The predictions were wrong. Yes, Millenials use social media, but do they drive how social media companies and retailers tailor their services? No. The average connected consumers, at 52% are women with an average age of 40. Why?
Meet the Connected Consumer
“Connected consumers are a social crowd and enthusiastic about shopping. More than three quarters of them are active Facebook users, 60 percent shop via digital or print catalogs, and more than 40 percent say shopping makes them feel happy. “Excited,” “thrifty” and “productive” also top the list of the connected consumer’s shopping emotions.”
• 62-65 percent of connected consumers shop via digital or print catalogs
• 75-78 percent owns a laptop
• 41-45 percent own smartphones
• 81-86 percent use Facebook”
Another study called these women “Digital Divas”, who are sophisticated shoppers and knowledgeable about the fashion industry when compared to non-divas. They rely on digital communication tools to learn, read product reviews, and share product purchases and their opinions freely. These habits lead to shift and insight into new services by retailers and how they may provide better services and products.
“With social networks at least twice the size of other women’s, Divas wields influence and have the power to make or break a brand, online and off. They don’t suffer fools and won’t go for gimmicks. What makes a brand most digitally savvy in Divas’ eyes isn’t just a Facebook profile, an app or a game. The brands winning with Divas are those creating or curating the best content and serving it up in contextually relevant ways, regardless of the category in which they compete. The brands Divas talk and Tweet about are those connecting the digital dots—inspiring, organizing and streamlining their shopping missions, not getting in the way of them.”
Are you a forty-something wielding social influence?
Source: http://media.zmags.com/files/zmags-cc-survey-web.pdf
http://www.fastcocreate.com/1683035/reaching-the-digital-divas-the-world-s-most-influential-women
