Social Media and Online Spending Linked?

People who spend a lot of time on social networks like Facebook and Twitter are more likely to spend more money online than those that aren’t as in-tune with the social sphere.

This statement is supported by recent information provided by comScore who were producing a quarterly overview of the US online retail economy.

Heavy Facebook Users Spend More

According to comScore’s information, heavy users of Facebook were likely to spend, on average, $67 whilst those who weren’t as frequent visitors only spent $50 on average. People who didn’t use the social network at all only spent an average of $27.

A heavy user was defined as anyone who was in the top 20% of Facebook users, measured by time spent in minutes on the site.

As more people embrace the advertising opportunities available with Facebook and its value as a social media tool, information such as this provided by comScore will provide valuable insight into the habits of consumers.

Offering Value to a Social Media Campaign

The relationship between online spending and Twitter wasn’t as clear cut as that displayed by Facebook in comScore’s research.

Medium to light users of Twitter are those most likely spend more money online. On average, a medium user will spend $75 and a light user will spend $73. This is more than those that spend a lot of time on the micro blogging social network, who on average spent $63.

The real value of this information that it shows the potential that social media engagement can offer to retailers.