Facebook has released a new study which looks at how fashion purchases are being influenced by online platforms – and social platforms in particular.
As explained by Facebook:
“In a survey of over 6,000 people across six countries, we found more than half of people who use Instagram, and four in ten Facebook users, say they’ve discovered fashion inspiration on the platform in the last three months. And with three out of five people surveyed admitting to having been tempted to buy a fashion item they didn’t intend to buy, the opportunity to influence and advise potential fashion buyers on Instagram and Facebook is huge.”
The study is part of a wider Facebook research project exploring the impact Facebook is having on fashion.
The first major finding of their research is that Instagram is the number one platform for fashion product discovery.
Where do you get your fashion inspiration from?
The placement of both Instagram and Pinterest makes sense, given their visual focus, while both Facebook and Snapchat also rate a mention, with magazines relatively low down the list.
Facebook also notes that social media channels are significantly more likely to provide fashion inspiration for people aged 18-34 years old – which, again, is no major surprise.
“This group is 1.57x more likely to say they have discovered fashion inspiration on Facebook and 1.81x more likely to say they have discovered fashion inspiration on Instagram, when compared to older age groups (35-64 year old).”
Interestingly, Facebook says that the number one source of inspiration for men surveyed is their friends, whereas for women surveyed it’s fashion brands. The data also indicates that women are 1.64x more likely to say they turn to influencers and celebrities for fashion inspiration compared to men, while people aged 18-34 years old are 2.96x more likely to cite influencers and celebrities as a source of fashion inspiration in comparison to older age groups.
That’s a key consideration for influencer marketing – while the growth of social channels has lead to significant focus on influencers as a key reach avenue, it’s younger, female users, in particular, who are more open to influencer recommendations, whereas male shoppers are more likely to turn to friends.
Indeed, even with influencers more relevant among that group, recommendations from friends and family still remain the key source overall.
“54% of people surveyed say they get fashion advice in person from friends and family and 49% in person, in-store. Social media is used by a quarter of people to get fashion advice, and messaging apps by one in ten.”
Where Millennials get their fashion advice from, in comparison to older age groups
Facebook also sought responses on future innovations in shopping – with some interesting results.
Interest in future fashion shopping innovations among respondents
Could Facebook be working on an integrated AR fashion app? They certainly have the capacity, and it could provide a big boost for fashion retailers on the platform.
It’s an interesting look at digital marketing in the fashion sector, and future opportunities for marketers. And while much of the general insights are likely known, the data gives more insight into how fashion brands can make best use of digital platforms, and coming innovations, to meet consumer demand.