How can social influences affect consumption

Social media is a huge influence on consumers when they are attempting to build awareness about a particular product. When people face a problem, they start searching for a solution.

But most of the times people do not know which product or service will solve their problems. How do people get to know about your product? A large section of the audience gets to know your brand through the content that is distributed on social media. The aim of every business is to influence consumer behavior. If you do not have a brand presence on social media, you are missing out on an important opportunity to influence your consumer buying behavior.

Social media has resulted in the evolution of social proof as a greater force for buying decisions. Social proof has emerged due to the tendency of people to imitate the behavior of people around them or people imitate people who have influence over them. Happy customers tend to go about praising the products with likes, shares, reviews and comments on social media.

Marketers are making social space more transparent by sharing reviews, comments, likes, tweets and pins of their happy customers to generate brand trust and increase conversion rate. Sharing testimonials, case studies, pictures, comments and videos of happy customers will build greater trust and will work well on your landing, page, consulting page and sign-up page as well. The power of social proof cannot be undermined when social media has become integral part of buyers and sellers.

Social marketers looking to sell their products should have a solid social proof in form of case studies, images, video, pod cast interviews and influencers as part of their selling strategy. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland. Access to the complete content on Oxford Handbooks Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription. Please subscribe or login to access full text content.

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Oxford Handbooks Online. In a series of four experiments, the authors examine the implications of one consumer's possession being mimicked by another consumer.

The results demonstrate that when distinctiveness concerns are heightened, greater dissociation responses i.

These effects are driven by threats to distinctiveness. Finally, these effects are mitigated when the imitated possession is nonsymbolic in nature and when a low degree of effort is exerted to initially obtain the possession. Implications for marketers and consumers are discussed. Read the Article.

Show Me the Honey! This research examines the effects of social exclusion on a critical aspect of consumer behavior, financial decision making. Specifically, four lab experiments and one field survey uncover how feeling isolated or ostracized causes consumers to pursue riskier but potentially more profitable financial opportunities. These daring proclivities do not appear driven by impaired affect or self-esteem.

Rather, interpersonal rejection exacerbates financial risk taking by heightening the instrumentality of money as a substitute for popularity to obtain benefits in life. Invariably, the quest for wealth that ensues tends to adopt a riskier but potentially more lucrative road.

Although fairly expensive to do, many retailers have begun fighting consumer misbehavior. Many also use electronic tracking devices on products and closed-circuit television to fight shoplifting and fraud. Since the cost of consumer misbehavior can be so high, many retailers feel it is worth fighting. Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Consumer Marketing. Search for:. Social Influences on the Consumer Decision Process.

Roles Consumers have different roles in purchasing products and services, and these roles can influence their buying behavior. Learning Objectives Describe the different types of consumer roles.

Key Takeaways Key Points Influencers are people who have a relatively large audience in which to tout their beliefs. A prosumer is usually a serious hobbyist, with similar interests and skills of professionals.

The prosumer generally uses professional or nearly professional equipment and has a relatively high disposable income. Key Terms persona : A social role. The target market of prosumer equipment. Family Families have a tremendous influence on consumer purchasing. Learning Objectives Describe how family dynamics and the family life cycle can influence purchasing decisions. Key Takeaways Key Points One way to understand the consumer behavior of a family is to identify the decision maker for a purchase.

People go through a family life cycle composed of different stages of purchasing patterns. Key Terms life cycle : The useful life of a product or system; the developmental history of an individual or group in society.

Reference Groups Reference groups are groups that consumers will look to for help in making purchasing decisions. Learning Objectives Distinguish between an opinion leader and reference group. Key Takeaways Key Points Reference groups are groups that consumers compare themselves to or associate with. They can heavily influence purchasing patterns. Friends, clubs, religious groups, and celebrities can all act as reference groups.

If a reference group endorses a product, either through use or statements about the product, those that look to the group will often purchase that product. Key Terms target market : A group of people whose needs and preferences match the product range of a company and to whom those products are marketed.

Opinion Leaders Opinion leaders are people consumers look to for guidance in making purchase decisions, usually someone with more knowledge of the subject. Learning Objectives Discuss the importance of opinion leaders in marketing and how they can influence the success of a product or service. Key Takeaways Key Points Consumers seek out help in making consumer purchases.

One source of help is an opinion leader. Opinion leaders are usually seen as being honest and impartial. They have the standing to be able to influence others. Finding opinion leaders can be vital to the success of a marketing plan, as they can then influence others to purchase the product or service.

Celebrities are often used as opinion leaders in promoting a product. Key Terms reference group : A reference group refers to a group to which an individual or another group is compared.

Learning Objectives Illustrate how social class impacts consumer behavior and buying patterns. Key Takeaways Key Points People are usually grouped in social classes according to income, wealth, education, or type of occupation. There is a major difference in the consumer behavior of different social classes.

The upper class, for example, has more disposable income and can thus spend more on most products. Each social class has distinct characteristics and approaches to consumer purchases. A marketer should understand the dynamic of the social class he or she is targeting. Culture Culture can have a profound effect on consumer behavior and purchasing, and can affect how a product is marketed. Learning Objectives Discuss the three components of a culture and how they impact consumer behavior.

Key Takeaways Key Points There are three components of a culture: beliefs, values, and customs.