Study shows influencers drive social commerce

Two-fifths of social media users say influencers impact their buying decisions according to a new report.

Three-quarters of U.S. adults (76%) say they ever buy things online using a smartphone. The figure rises to 91% of U.S. adults under 50.

Online shopping habits vary by household income according to a survey published today by the Pew Research Center.  U.S. adults with upper incomes are more likely than middle- and lower-income adults to say they use their smartphone to make online purchases.

One-in-three U.S. adults (32%) say they use a smartphone to buy things online at least on a weekly basis. The figure jumps to half of all adults (49%) aged 30 to 49.

When shopping online U.S. adults turn to social media influencers for inspiration and recommendation.  

72% of 18- to 29-year-old social media users say they follow influencers or content creators. This percentage drops significantly for adults aged 30 to 49 where just 44% follows an influencer.

The Pew Research Center data shows U.S. social media user adults are turning to these influencers to inform their buying decisions, too. 

Four-in-ten (39%) of social media users say influencers impact their decisions about what to purchase at least a little.

Three-in-ten (30%) adult social media users say they have purchased something after seeing an influencer or content creator post about it on social media. When looking only at users who follow these accounts, that number rises to 53%.

Gen Z and young Millennials are most likely to report that influencers affect their buying habits. 54% of 18- to 29-year-old social media users say influencers impact their purchasing decisions a lot or a little. That share drops to 42% among users ages 30 to 49 and to 29% among those 50 and older.

Women are more dependent on an influencer’s recommendation according to Pew. 36% of women report buying something after seeing an influencer’s post compared with 21% of men. 62% of female social media users ages 18 to 29 say influencers or content creators affect what they purchase at least a little.