GroupM and Comscore recently announced the results of a study looking at the relationship between social media exposure and search behavior. The study’s results showed that users who engage with social media, especially those exposed to a brand’s influenced social media, are far more likely to search for and click on brand and product related terms than users who do not engage with social media.
In addition, consumers exposed to both influenced social media and paid search ads are 77% more likely to search for that brand compared to those exposed to a brand’s paid search ads alone. Not only did search volume increase when combining social media and paid search, but click-through also saw a 50% increase.
“Every day consumers express their intent via search. Now, we better understand how that intent is established via social media and the interplay between the channels,”
Chris Copeland, GroupM Search
“This finding provides strong evidence that investing in social media marketing can both increase initial brand consideration and drive higher conversion rates once the consumer has decided to purchase”
Graham Mudd, Comscore Inc
The study suggests that searchers who use social media are more engaged overall and may be more likely to search with intent to purchase when compared to those who do not use social media.
Research has shown that display ads have a similar effect on search volume and click-through, especially when combined with paid text advertising. Now, it seems, influenced social media can join the ranks of advertising channels that act as an influencer and multiplier of search behavior.
