Social media feedback to become even more prevalent and important to retailers in the future, says research company; impressions of user-generated content rose by roughly 40% on Black Friday, Cyber Monday 2011 compared with 2010

Cindy Allen

LOS ANGELES , January 16, 2012 (Industry Intelligence) – Social commerce solutions company Bazaarvoice Inc. reports that social media feedback will become even more prevalent and important to retailers in the future, Internet Retailing reported on Jan. 16.

In its analysis of user-generated content for its clients across more than 120 countries, Bazaarvoice found that on Black Friday 2011, there were almost 730 million impressions of user-generated content, a 39% increase in comparison to the same day the previous year. On Cyber Monday 2011, there were almost 789 million impressions of user-generated content, a 42% increase in comparison to Cyber Monday 2010.

For its latest Quarterly Conversation Index, Bazaarvoice examined 5.8 million pieces of data from April to September 2011.

“A new understanding of age-old human practices will continue to rapidly form. We are hardwired to share opinions, recommendations, and input with each other. Now social gives consumers a direct link to the brands they are talking about,” said Brett Hurt, the founder and chief executive of Bazaarvoice, “There is a huge responsibility that comes with this always-on, direct and authentic input, and a tremendous opportunity for brands to take actions on what consumers really need and want. “

Bazaarvoice Chief Marketing Officer Erin Mulligan Nelson said that brands need to be able to capture, examine and act on social data in order “to catapult beyond loyalty to real [customer] advocacy.”

Bazaarvoice also found that income stemming from m-transactions tripled during 2011, and increased by 6% during the third quarter of 2011 in comparison to the same time last year.

On Black Friday 2011 alone, the number of visitors to websites belonging to Bazaarvoice’s websites increased by 12%, up from an increase of 5% in 2010.

During the 2011 Christmas period, mobile visits to websites belonging to Bazaarvoice’s websites were broken down as follows: 40% came from iPads, 30% came from iPhones, and 25% came from Android smart phones.

The primary source of this article is Internet Retailing, London, England, on Jan. 16, 2012.

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