Most Australian shoppers (63%) have purchased a product based on the recommendation of an everyday social media user, but only 6% said celebrity influencers impacted their decisions, according to findings from consumer research from Bazaarvoice.
The results, which came about from surveying 1,008 Australians, revealed insights into who influences purchasing decisions, what truly impacts consumers' decisions, and which platforms they use to shop. 100% of respondents said they bought a product based on other online shoppers' recommendations.
Over a third (39%) of people said they purchase more products based on recommendations from regular social users compared to in the past. When purchasing a product, Australians said everyday social media users are who they are most influenced by (29%), which is slightly more than brands (28%) and subject matter experts (26%). Social media influencers (13%) and celebrity influencers (6%) were regarded as less influential.
TikTok (29%), Instagram (24%) and Facebook (23%) are the three social media platforms most used by Australians to discover new products, and it's what they use most to purchase new products as well (Facebook - 28%, Instagram - 28%, TikTok - 18%).
66% of Australians want to see brands partner with regular social media users more than influencers or celebrities.
Despite saying professional influencers are less relevant for their decisions, almost half (47%) of Australian respondents would like to build a career or side hustle as a content creator in the future. This was the highest percentage out of all surveyed countries, including the US (45%), the UK (41%) and France (27%).
The power of 'de-influencing' or 'reverse-influencing', the trend of social media content producers arguing against buying products or services they dislike or think won't benefit their audiences has also been analysed in the report. Less than one in three Australians (29%) has heard of the trend and found no discernable impact on shoppers' attitudes.
Kate Musgrove, APAC MD at Bazaarvoice, said across Australian networks, the appeal of big celebrities or influencers has certainly diminished, and the voice of everyday consumers became louder.
"While most of us are not celebrities, all of us are shoppers, and we want to hear about the experiences of real, authentic shoppers. We find these people more trustworthy and are more likely to purchase products based on their recommendations," she said.
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