WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Nearly 30% of higher-income consumers said social media influenced their choice of home maintenance or repair services, a markedly higher percentage than other income groups. The Ad-ology Research study also found this group had notably high reports of recent maintenance services performed.
Across all demographics, positive and negative comments were the most influential types of social media.
For other online media types, ratings Web sites were the most influential, followed by contractors’ Web sites. The top three influential traditional media types were newspaper, Yellow Pages, and direct mail.
“Some companies may be quick to dismiss social media as something that’s only used by young people, and not worth their effort,” said C. Lee Smith, president and CEO of Ad-ology Research. “In reality, social media usage is growing across all demographics and can clearly be a way to reach some very lucrative audiences,” Smith said.
Other key findings:
•Licensing/bonding was the most important factor in the choice of a service provider in the Northeast
•Nearly 7% of respondents had home maintenance done because of the need for emergency repair
•Of traditional media types, Yellow Pages had the most influence on 65 to 74 year olds
The Media Influence on Consumer Choice survey is conducted throughout the year by Ad-ology Research to study online, traditional, and social media influence on buying decisions.
Media Influence on Consumer Choice: Home Maintenance is available for purchase and immediate download through Ad-ology.com. The report includes 25 data charts, consumer-spending estimates by market, and additional marketing insights.
About Ad-ology Research
Ad-ology Research analyzes key marketing and advertising trends in over 440 industries and what motivates end-customers. The company’s research is used by over 2,000 advertising agencies, media properties and product marketing departments across the United States. Ad-ology Research is a division of Sales Development Services (SDS), Inc. – a Westerville, Ohio firm founded in 1989.
Methodology
Ad-ology Research surveyed an online consumer panel of 1,154 adults in a manner that is 98% representative of the adult population of the United States from July 17-18, 2009. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 2.9 percentage points.
