Since women turn to online sources for information during critical times in the purchase decision process, marketers might benefit from knowing that 35% turn to sources at the beginning of the process and 42% at the end to narrow their choices, according to BlogHer’s Fifth Annual Women and Social Media study.

The study identifies emerging platforms that women use to gain information about products and services. It also traces the connection to specific media channels and analyzes the influence of each on purchase behavior.

Seventy-seven percent of women use Facebook for fun, while 87% turn to Facebook to remain up to date with with family. More than 61% of active blog readers admit to making purchases based on a blog recommendation, nearly double the rate of Facebook and Twitter active users — 33% and 31% — respectively.

Purchase conversion among the BlogHer community was 87%.

While Facebook ranks the highest for fun and keeping up with friends and family, blogs rank the highest in learning about new products and research recommendations that can turn into purchase decisions. Some 41% seek out blogs to learn about new products, 39% look for product recommendations, and 36% use blogs to make purchase decisions.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/170164/blogs-influence-womens-shopping-experience.html#ixzz1pHNJnqul

As social media marketers become more and more accountable for the return on investment of their programs, some are also starting to see the long-term results of campaigns that work.

Beginning in summer 2010, BzzAgent, the social media marketing arm of dunnhumby, began studying the immediate and lingering results of several social media marketing campaigns involving consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands and brand advocates.

There was an immediate boost to advocates’ likelihood to recommend a product after being exposed to a campaign, with rates rising from 39% before exposure to 61% directly after. While the effect of the campaign diminished somewhat over time, 55% of brand advocates studied were still significantly more likely to recommend a product one year after their initial exposure.

When brand advocates studied were asked about their own purchase intent, the results were even more dramatic. Before the campaign, a similar number said they would purchase as would recommend the brand: 38%. Immediately after the campaign, the number shot up more than 30 percentage points and remained at 69% for three months. After a year, purchase intent was still elevated as high as 61%.

More at: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1008764&ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4