What is the Key to Effective Advertising? A New ReviewInc Study Has the Answer

Woodland Hills, CA – February 9th, 2016 – We all want to maximize the effectiveness of our ad campaigns, but how? A startling new study, published by ReviewInc in January 2016, appears to have found the answer, and the answer is reviews
Over 7,000 US consumers were approached by ReviewInc over three years, and their views on the efficacy of advertising were collated. The results showed that – when selecting a professional or trade service such as a mechanic, doctor, plumber or attorney – user reviews were by far the most influential form of advertising.

More than 40% of respondents named user and peer reviews on sites such as Google+, Facebook, Yelp and others as the most influential factor when it came to choosing a service. This is almost double the 22% who named the company's website as most influential, and over five times the 7.5% who said that TV, radio and newspaper ads influence their choice the most.
This will make for painful reading for company bosses currently splashing out on expensive advertising campaigns, as they realize that the key to increased profile and brand awareness lies elsewhere. What's more, the dominance exerted by user reviews over advertising is only increasing, with the number of people citing the medium as the strongest factor influencing their consumer choice growing by a steady 5% year on year since 2013.

The study's authors explained how this shift in perception represents the importance of organic reputation growth for companies, and the downsides of the artificial reputation management offered by advertisers. The results of the study showed that consumers are becoming wiser and growing savvier, making it increasingly difficult to sway them with flashy ad campaigns.

ReviewInc's study also uncovered other interesting findings relating to the average age of online users and reviewers. Until relatively recently, the internet was – on the whole – the preserve of the young, but things are changing. In 2013, those who named online user reviews as the most influential factor behind choosing a service were in the in the 18-34 bracket.
By 2015, this had slipped to just over 45%, with the remaining ground made up by 35-54 year olds and those in the 55+ category, showing that more and more people – of all ages and backgrounds – are tuning into the power of a strong company reputation online.

CONTACT:
Name: Henri Isenberg
Address: 20750 Ventura Blvd, #355, Woodland Hills, CA 91364 USA
Email: info@reviewinc.com
Website: www.reviewinc.com