• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, February 26, 2014

According to a January 2014 Harris Poll for The Webby Awards, and summarized by eMarketer, 68% of 18-to-34-year-old social media users surveyed were somewhat likely to make a purchase after seeing a friend’s post, but 78% of social media users 65 and older were not at all likely to make a purchase based on their friends’ posts.

Nearly seven in 10 millennial social users are at least somewhat influenced to purchase based on friends’ posts. Millennials are significantly more likely than older generations to be influenced by their friends’ social media posts about products and services, and the most likely sharers on social media are under 44.

The study found that the majority of posts on social networks about new products and services came from women, especially those 44 and younger. Just 18% of females between the ages of 18 and 34 said they never posted about new products and services. More than half of women between 35 and 44 posted about new products and services at least sometimes.

6% of millennial males always share photos and thoughts each time they tried a new product or service, while 33% share often or sometimes. Most millennial men, however, rarely or never share content about new products and services.

Internet users between the ages of 18 and 44 are likely to share thoughts and pictures about new products and services. Nearly six in 10 millennial internet users said they had been the first out of their friends and family to try a new product or service, compared with 19% of internet users 65 and older who said the same.

More information from eMarketer may be found here,