Social media has made a great impact in the purchasing funnel, helping consumers make better decisions. As I said, people believe in what other peers say about a product, service, brand , company and do not believe anymore in sales pitches (intrusive advertising).

A marketer, has to know their audience (market segments) in order to know what online channels the marketing team should be targeting in to achieve business goals.

Consumers are increasingly using social media to look for recommendations, reviews and opinions from friends, family, experts and the collective social community.

In a 2010, the IBM Institute for Business Value found that 45 percent of consumers ask friends for advice before purchasing, and more than a third turn to external sources (either fellow consumers or independent experts) to get information about a product.

The following infographic, done by M Booth and Beyond, analyses the differences between high and low sharers and various purchasing decisions. This will help companies to understand how they should be targeting consumers.