• About Us
  • Contributors
  • Guides
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Write for The SEM Post
  • Submit a tip or contact us!
  • Newsletters

The SEM Post

Latest News About SEO, SEM, PPC & Search Engines

  • Google
  • SEO
  • Mobile
  • Local
  • Bing
  • Pay Per Click
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • State of the Industry
You are here: Home / Social Media / Consumers 7 Times More Likely to Trust Social Content over Advertising

Consumers 7 Times More Likely to Trust Social Content over Advertising

December 23, 2016 at 8:10 am PST By Greg Jarboe

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Evernote
  • SMS

greg-trust-social-contentOlapic, a leading earned content platform, released the results of a global study this week exploring the impact of user-generated photos on consumer trust and brand engagement. Results show that of those surveyed worldwide, consumers are seven times more likely to trust social media photos featuring “real people” than traditional advertising, findings that may have critical implications for brands looking to heighten trust and overall engagement among consumers.

The report, “Consumer Trust: Keeping It Real”, which details the results of the survey of more than 4,500 active social media users between ages 16 and 49 in the US and Europe (the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Sweden), indicates that trust has a tremendous impact on click-through rates and sales. In fact, more than half (56 percent) of respondents say they would be more likely to click on an ad with a consumer-generated image than a stock photo — and the same percentage said they’re more inclined to buy the product. Meanwhile, almost 80 percent of mobile users admitted they’re likely to block ads they find irrelevant or irritating.

“Our Global Report reveals low levels of consumer trust for branded advertising across all countries,” said Pau Sabria, co-founder of Olapic. “These findings send a strong message to brands about how they should engage with consumers, and US retailers in particular should take note. As we tread deeper into the social age, we’re seeing the power of consumer-generated content firsthand, transforming how shoppers regard products and interact with brands. Widespread distrust in traditional advertising suggests consumers are seeking a more honest dialogue with brands and in order to increase sales, brands will need to adapt to this changing landscape.”

The report’s findings also show that in the US in particular, user-generated photos play an instrumental role across the customer journey. Sixty-five percent of surveyed Americans are interested in looking at social media photos while ‘pre-shopping’—when consumers begin browsing products—and another 70 percent of Americans express they’re more inclined to make a purchase after seeing a relatable consumer post online. Another 27 percent of US respondents confirmed they seek inspiration from user-generated content (UGC) online prior to making a purchase. US respondents also showed a particular fondness for brand engagement on social media as 54 percent admit they’ve posted content using a brand’s hashtag to share news of their latest purchase with friends.

The consumer appetite for authenticity has an important impact on everyday interaction with brands, with 45 percent of respondents seeking inspiration from UGC once a day or more, and 71 percent at least 2-3 times a week. Overall, 49 percent of respondents are more likely to buy a product across verticals when endorsed by a real person, and nearly a quarter say they have bought a product after seeing it featured in UGC.

About the research

The research was carried out by market research specialists Censuswide across the UK, US, France, Spain, Germany and Sweden. An online survey of 15 questions was completed by a total of 4,578 active social media users (individuals who use social media at least once a week) between the ages of 16 and 49. The report explores how the use of social media and the consumption of consumer-generated images impact consumers’ trust in brands. You can download and read Olapic’s full report, “Consumer Trust: Keeping It Real”, here.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Evernote
  • SMS
The following two tabs change content below.
  • Bio
  • Latest Posts
My Twitter profileMy Google+ profile

Greg Jarboe

President at SEO-PR
Greg Jarboe is the President and co-founder of SEO-PR, a content marketing agency. He’s on the faculty at the Rutgers Business School and Market Motive. Jarboe is the author of YouTube and Video Marketing as well as a contributor to Strategic Digital Marketing, Complete B2B Online Marketing, and Enchantment. A frequent speaker at industry conferences, he also writes for ReelSEO and ClickZ.
My Twitter profileMy Google+ profile

Latest posts by Greg Jarboe (see all)

  • Recreating Viral Video Success: Squatty Potty - October 20, 2017
  • Baby Boomers are the Audience Most Advertisers are Missing on YouTube - September 19, 2017
  • KnowledgeVision’s Knovio 3.0 is Not Your Old School Online Video Platform - June 30, 2017
  • Top 10 Super Bowl Ads for 2017 Depend on Which Metrics You Use - February 7, 2017
  • Only 10% of Viewers Thought Last Year’s Super Bowl Ads Were Funny - January 17, 2017

Filed Under: Social Media Tagged With: UGC

Sign up for our newsletter


Founder & Editor

Jennifer Slegg (2052)

Sign up for our daily news recap & weekly newsletter.


Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Linkedin
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Latest News

2022 Update for Google Quality Rater Guidelines – Big YMYL Updates

We finally have the first Google Quality Rater Guidelines update of 2022, and like usual, it is … [Read More...]

Recent Posts

  • 2022 Update for Google Quality Rater Guidelines – Big YMYL Updates
  • Google Quality Rater Guidelines: The Low Quality 2021 Update
  • Rethinking Affiliate Sites With Google’s Product Review Update
  • New Google Quality Rater Guidelines, Update Adds Emphasis on Needs Met
  • Google Updates Experiment Statistics for Quality Raters
  • Analyzing “How Google Search Works” Changes from Google
  • Google Quality Rater Guidelines Update: New Introduction, Rater Bias & Political Affiliations
  • Google Updates Quality Rater Guidelines: Reputation for News Sites; Video Content Updates; Quality for Information Sites
  • Google Makes Major Changes to NoFollow, Adds Sponsored & UGC Tags
  • Google Updates Quality Rater Guidelines Targeting E-A-T, Page Quality & Interstitials

Categories

  • Affiliate Marketing
  • Amazon
  • Apple
  • Bing
  • Branding
  • Browsers
  • Chrome
  • Content Marketing
  • Design
  • Domains
  • DuckDuckGo
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Firefox
  • Foursquare
  • Google
    • Analytics
    • Google RankBrain
    • Quality Rater's Guidelines
  • History of Search
  • Industry Spotlight
  • Instagram
  • Internet Explorer
  • Links
  • Local
  • Mobile
  • Native Advertising
  • Other Search Engines
  • Pay Per Click
  • Pinterest
  • Publishers
  • Security
  • SEO
  • Snapchat
  • Social Media
  • State of the Industry
  • The SEM Post
  • Tools
  • Twitter
  • Uncategorized
  • User Experience
  • Video Marketing
  • Week in Review
  • Whitepapers
  • Wordpress
  • Yahoo
  • Yelp
  • YouTube
June 2025
MTWTFSS
« Aug  
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
23242526272829
30 

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2025 · News Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in