Tech Consumers Influenced by Word of Mouth

A new study out today by research firm Intelliseek suggests that iPod-owning consumers are significantly more like to be cutting edge personal technology and Internet users who speak their mind on these products and make buying recommendations to others. This translates into word of mouth recommendations from personal relationships, however the medium it is delivered, can carry a great deal of weight in someone else’s buying decision.

Intelliseek said that according to their 2005 Consumer-Generated Media and Behavior Study, “iPod users are twice as likely to have authored a blog than consumers who do not own MP3 players, and they outpace other MP3 owners on creating and posting content online. iPod users are also 2.5 times as likely to exchange text messages on cellular phones (59% vs. 24% of non-owners), three times as likely to take photos with a camera phone (45% vs. 15%), and three times as likely to download video clips and movies to a personal computer (47% versus 16%).”

The representative study of 660 online consumers was conducted in August, 2005. It showed that in the category of iPods alone, “nearly 1% of all new blog entries directly or indirectly mention iPod products, roughly equal to the total amount of online conversations citing MP3 players in general. First-person product testimonials about iPods also index highly across message boards, forums and ratings sites.”

“iPod users have more word-of-mouth tools at their disposal to spread opinions and reviews about their iPod experiences,” said Pete Blackshaw, Intelliseek’s chief marketing officer. “Provided iPods continue to delight consumers, Apple will benefit from a growing volume of free, trusted advertising from other consumers.”