7 characteristics of personal recommendations | Key4Communications |

Consumers rely on personal recommendations, as stated in a study by the consultancy firm Target-Empirica, which analyzes how consumers give importance to all kind of recommendations.

1. Consumers value recommendations especially if these three factors are met: confidence, expertise and affinity.

2. 75% of consumers have purchased a product following a recommendation in the past three months. These recommendations are primarily face to face (78%), but both online and offline channels are used.

3. 62% of consumers seek opinions online. It is the second medium in importance half in importance after face to face communication. 49% of consumers also write their own recommendations.

4. Recommendations have a significant influence on technology and appliances (32%) and food (30%).

5. Consumers give more credibility to the recommendations of acquaintances (84%) than to advertising (43%). Online recommendations are trusted by 63%.

6. The point of sale is the second most credible source: 68% of consumers consider retailers reliable.

7. The most trustworthy online media are forums (60%) and blogs (50%). The less content can be displayed in a message, the less credibility ot has, something that happens with the 140 characters texts of Twitter (26.5%). Social networks have the confidence of 33.5% of consumers, in front of e-mails (28.2%).