Experian Marketing Services’ 2014 Digital Marketer report shows that social media continues to grow as an influential source of traffic for retail and other social sites
Pinterest is the top social media traffic driver for retailer Websites; Amazon.com is the top source of traffic from social sites
New York, N.Y., March 27, 2014 — According to new research from Experian Marketing Services, a global provider of integrated consumer insight, targeting, data quality and cross-channel marketing, social media Websites are playing an increasingly important role in driving traffic to other Websites, including retail Websites and even other social networking sites, at the expense of search engines and portal Websites. As of March 2014, social media sites now account for 7.72 percent of all traffic to retail Websites, up from 6.59 percent in March 2013. Further, Pinterest, more than Facebook or YouTube, is supplying the greatest percentage of its downstream traffic to retail sites.
This trend, among others, is highlighted in Experian Marketing Services’ recently released 2014 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report. The report is an annual go-to resource for marketers looking for key industry benchmarks, insights, technology trends and consumer data.
“While search still dominates, social media is becoming a significant source of traffic across the Internet as consumers increasingly use sites like Facebook, Pinterest or YouTube more as discovery platforms,” said Bill Tancer, general manager of global research, Experian Marketing Services. “Many of today’s marketers are leveraging the power of social communities to increase customer engagement and expand their brand’s reach. For retailers, all eyes are on Pinterest.”
According to the report, more retailers are directing their customers to social media within their email campaigns. Ninety-six percent of marketers now promote social media in their emails, and in 2013, Pinterest had the greatest year-over-year increase. Pinterest is now being promoted by 64 percent of brands within emails.
Amazon.com is the top source of downstream traffic from Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube
After visiting Facebook, YouTube or Pinterest, consumers are visiting Amazon.com more frequently than any other retailer Website.
The top five retail sites downstream from Facebook:
1. Amazon.com
2. Walmart
3. Zulily
4. Target
5. Beyond the Rack
The top five retail sites downstream from Youtube:
1. Amazon.com
2. Walmart
3. GameStop
4. Crutchfield
5. Target
The top five retail sites downstream from Pinterest:
1. Amazon.com
2. Target
3. Zulily
4. Walmart
5. Nordstrom
“Social media continues to grow as an influential source of traffic for retail sites, and it’s important that marketers understand what is driving customers to their Web page,” said Tancer. “Amazon is clearly benefitting from this trend across all of the major social networks. Meanwhile, gaming and electronic retailers GameStop and Crutchfield are top downstream sites for YouTube, which is likely due to enthusiasts sharing videos of game performance and setup, and how-to videos for electronic enthusiasts.”
Social drives more traffic to other social Websites
In addition, social media Websites increasingly are responsible for driving traffic to other social sites. Upstream traffic from social networking Websites rose 20 percent in 2013 over 2012. Despite still driving the greatest share of traffic to social networking sites at 39.1 percent, search engines’ share declined 13 percent year-over-year.
Upstream industries visited before social networking and forum sites 2013 versus 2012 | ||
Industry |
Click share 2013 |
Year-over-year difference |
Search engines |
39.1% |
-13% |
Social networking and forums |
15.1% |
20% |
Email services |
8.4% |
18% |
Portal front pages |
5.4% |
-41% |
Multimedia |
5.0% |
41% |
Games |
2.5% |
16% |
Software |
1.6% |
16% |
Television |
1.6% |
74% |
Reference |
1.2% |
28% |
Department stores |
1.1% |
48% |
Source: Experian Marketing Services’ 2014 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report | ||
The 2014 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report is available via a free download at http://ex.pn/PpijOx.
The 2014 Digital Marketer webcast hosted by Bill Tancer can be viewed at: http://ex.pn/P2IFFd.
Contact:
Suzanne Blackburn
Experian Marketing Services
1 212 863 4648
suzanne.blackburn@experian.com
About Experian Marketing Services
Experian Marketing Services is a global provider of integrated consumer insights and targeting, data quality and cross-channel marketing. We help organizations from around the world intelligently interact with today’s dynamic, empowered and hyperconnected customers. By coordinating seamless interactions across all marketing channels, marketers are able to plan and execute superior brand experiences that deepen customer loyalty, strengthen brand advocacy and maximize profits. For more information, please visit http://ex.pn/1fSccNf.
About Experian
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