Friday PR Picks: Study: Consumers Trust Twitter

by PR Coach

New Digital Influence Study: Consumers Say In Twitter We Trust

Is the second annual Digital Influence Index study the final nail in the coffin for traditional media? If not, it’s another strong signal that mainstream media, PR and business had better adapt and embrace these new channels yesterday.

The study by Fleishman-Hillard International Communications and Harris Interactive highlights how far consumers trust has grown in companies that use microblogging for real-time interaction. The study surveyed 4,243 people in the US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, China and Japan.

The report title also reflects the impact of the Internet on consumers – “Understanding the role of the Internet in the lives of consumers.”

Among the nine key findings:

  • digital dominates in consumer influence but not marketing dollars spent: the Internet has twice the influence of the 2nd strongest medium TV and 10 times the influence of print
  • Chinese users are more advanced, early adopters with room to grow: there an estimated 330 million online consumers in China but that is only 27% of its population compared to 60% in mature markets
  • digital is core  for research, communications and peer influence: the web is trusted, reliable and plays a key role in consumer decisions
  • too much information and oversharing of personal info is becoming an issue: 1/5 worry sharing their personal information or opinions could have negative consequences
  • people trust the Internet more with multiple sources including friends: and they do rely even more on info from government and business sources
  • pay to play doesn’t play: 76% don’t trust bloggers who receive free company samples and less than 20% trust posts by bloggers paid to post
  • microbloggers using services such as Twitter, Facebook trust companies responding in real time: 75% of consumers trust companies microblogging more than those who don’t
  • though there are more mobility options to choose from, 21% don’t make use of new apps and features
  • Will digital influence continue to grow? 39% said it will be more important in the next two years; 59% said it will remain the same; and 3% said less influential.

Consumers around the world are using Internet tools more and more to help them make buying decisions and trust is growing. While there are geographic differences, these findings are significant for us all.

Lots more Social Media and Public Relations tips at The PR Coach.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

And finally, here’s this week’s Friday PR Picks, a selection of the best posts and articles in PR and social media in recent days:

Friday PR Picks

Public Relations

5 Common Questions About Web Disclosure [IR Web Report]
Crisis Communications Planning Essential for High-Profile Athletes [Journalistics]
Higher Education vs Real-World Experience in PR [Journalistics]
When PR Experts Emerge as Tastemakers [Fresh Ideas]
Your Copy Sucks: The Press Release Mad-Lib [PRBreakfastClub]

Social Media & PR

5 Tactics Bloggers Should Borrow from Traditional PR [Kikolani.com]
Consumers Say: In Tweets We Trust [Reuters]
Crisis Communications in Social Media: Are You Ready? [Conversation Agent]
Dear Facebook Friends, You’re Doing It Wrong [Techipedia]
Facebook Community Pages: What Your Business Needs to Know [Social Media Examiner]
Lewis PR Launches Free Platform for Twitter Sentiment Monitoring Analysis
[Lewis Global PR]
SEO: The Beginner’s Guide from SEOmoz
[SEOmoz]
Talking on Target: A Lesson in Public Speaking [Copywrite, Ink]

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