of respondents own or lease two automobiles.
36%
Today, marketers are seeing a shift in the need for consideration-stage content (product information and reviews/recommendations) from the traditional brand awareness marketing campaigns. In fact, in a recent survey of more than 16,500 members of the Smiley360 community, we found that:
of respondents said they share their reviews and recommendations of automobiles with others
of consumers are considering multiple vehicle options when starting the buying process
According to AutoTrader:
What’s the most popular type of car?
of consumers also spend time doing online research during the start of the process
Here’s how to turn those car enthusiasts
into brand advocates.
46% of respondents own or lease a sedan
41% of respondents own or lease an SUV
11% of respondents own or lease a luxury car
Methodology
Social Media Link conducted a survey of 217,081 consumers from its consumer influencer community, Smiley360.com from August 28, 2018, to October 10, 2018, to discover various social and online behaviors when it comes to automobile purchases.
71% of car consumers are turning to friends and family (both on social media and offline) for recommendations about which make and model to purchase.
Planes, Trains and (Majority) Automobiles
31%
What features are they looking for?
35%
72%
Sharing Recommendations with Fellow Passengers
of respondents search for online reviews
42%
So which information is most important?
71%
of respondents own or lease
one automobile.
Marketers need to innovate—they need to create more consideration-stage content to educate the consumer. Turning to current car enthusiasts and owners is a great place to jumpstart the discussion for your model.
of respondents said safety factors into their decision
Here’s Why Auto Industry Marketers Need to Test Drive Word-of-Mouth Strategies
58% are either planning to or thinking about purchasing
23% of respondents are planning on purchasing a luxury car
59%
Most consumers are
in the market
info@socialmedialink.com
60%
Of that 72%:
• 67% share opinions around price
• 64% share opinions around comfort
• 64% share opinions around safety
• 62% share opinions around gas mileage
71%
As the auto industry has seen tremendous innovations from electric cars, all the way to self-driving models, we’ve seen a lack of transformation in the way car brands approach marketing.
Turning to Others in the Driver’s Seat
of respondents said price factors into their decision
Of that 71%:
• 46% has purchased a car based on those recommendations
• Facebook and YouTube are the most popular social media channels for research
of respondents said they turn to family and friend recommendations either offline or on social media
Key Takeaways
for Marketers
46%
Of respondents who either own or lease an automobile:
Only 2% said technology features factor into their decision