Almost 70% U.S. adults use social media

Sixty-eight percent of U.S. adults visit blogs, social networks and online communities, according to MarketTools' latest research, and 42% said the frequency of their visits to such sites has risen in the last six months.

A third of those surveyed said they use social media sites to conduct product research and 47% said those sites had a direct impact on their purchasing decision. Over a quarter (26%) changed their minds about a product or service after reading information in social media.

“Our research sheds new light on just how ingrained blogs, communities and social networking sites have become in our daily lives,” said Beth Rounds, SVP of research solutions at MarketTools.

“Insight into what drives consumers to buy, how to tailor content to different demographics, and even how to better engage with target consumers in these increasingly influential online forums, will all have a significant impact on organizations’ success and competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

As per Technorati’s recent “State of the Blogosphere” report, MarketTools’ findings also point to social media as entering the mainstream and being a valuable point of reference for online consumers, as well as an important decision making tool.

Tags: online communities, social marketing, social media