One Third of Internet Users Swayed by Social Content

One in three internet users say that their purchase decisions are swayed by sites with social content, according to a January 2007 survey conducted by JupiterResearch for iProspect. The survey, which was commissioned to explore how consumers use social networking sites, defined a social networking site as one that allows users to post their own content, including sites with user-generated product reviews, such as Amazon.com.

The most popular social networking sites are frequented by 25% of internet users at least once a month, iProspect reports, and visitors arrive at the sites primarily through direct navigation and bookmarking. The study also shows that while less than 10% of the internet population visits niche social networks, they are a highly targeted and effective way of reaching very specific consumer groups.

Other findings:

* 72% of YouTube visitors primarily seek entertainment, while 49% of FaceBook users and 35% of MySpace users primarily seek networking opportunities.

* 56% of TripAdvisor visitors, 39% of Yahoo! Answers visitors, 39% of Craigslist visitors, and 32% of iVillage visitors actively research products or services.

* One out of three internet users turns to sites with user-generated content to help make a purchase decision.

* The majority of visitors to social networking sites (90%) don't post comments on the sites they visit.