Social Media Buttons. You see them for Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. Pinterest. I’m fairly certain you’re familiar with those names.
Branding hasn’t been much of an issue for Social Media. Most everyone at least knows about them, what they are and even their branding images – even if they don’t actively participate.
You can find those little Social Media icons and buttons all over the internet. Like us here, Share us there, Follow us everywhere.
Everybody uses Social Media and they recognize the social media buttons and icons.
For example on this website, you can find ways to share articles on your favorite social site – just scroll down. And up top? You can see links to my various social sites as well.
Social Media Buttons and Proximity
Do these little social graphics actually have any effect, aside from being a clickable way to share?
Some recent research suggests they do.
A joint study by the University of Miami School of Business Administration, Empirica Research and StyleCaster Media Group hints that consumers are affected by these little jewels…Subconsciously.
When social media icons were in close proximity to items that users would be proud to show off, such as sportswear or fragrances, it was found that users were 25% more likely to make a purchase.
However the flip side seemed also to be true. When those social buttons were near items that might embarrass them, like a weight-loss product or acne medication, users were 25% less likely to buy the product.
Interestingly enough, the buttons had the same impact on the users regardless of whether or not they consciously remember seeing them…
As an aside, however, it’s important to note that if you are using a WordPress-powered site, the majority of Social plugins out there cause huge bloat, meaning that they seriously slow down your site. So this is a trade-off. Consider CSS sprites or hard-coding out the links yourself.