We tend to buy based on the recommendations of close friends — and social media plays a critical role in this process. According to a recent survey by Market Force, 81% of consumers indicated that friends’ social media posts directly influenced their purchase decision. In looking at the various social networks, Pinterest is as popular as Twitter (and lags Facebook) yet it hasn’t around as long (according to Pew Research Center). On the flip side, Pinterest pins generate fewer subsequent page views and shorter timespans (according Copyblogger Media). And based on my analysis below, I’ve found that Pinterest also fails to refer local site traffic — the kind that brings recommendations from friends.
Brands are constantly told by marketers that Facebook is a ‘must have’ and that they should focus on increasing their fan base (aka getting users to click on the ‘Like’ button for their brand). The go-to tactic for increasing ‘Like’ activity is to introduce promotions — typically a discount offer. These promotions are typically served through the Facebook Tab and are powered by custom applications that developers build. Since brands are eager to create these apps, Facebook has posted a set of