How to Influence Teen Girls Online

Peers are their most influential source for new trends

Teen girls spend a significant amount of their media time online. While texting and listening to music take up a bit more time each day, according to July 2010 research from Varsity, nearly a quarter of girls ages 13 to 18 spend at least 3 hours a day online, and another 37% are on the web for an hour or two daily.

And what teen girls are doing online is no surprise: 61% reported going to Facebook multiple times a day. About a third of respondents said they socialized with friends online for at least an hour every day.

Friends and peers are an important part of teen girls’ experience, and the study found they were the first place respondents turned for advice about buying apparel. Friends were the top source of new trend information and also the most influential when it came to making purchase decisions, making the social aspect of shopping key for this demographic.

Teen girls also reported they gave advice about a variety of products to friends and family members, with at least two-thirds recommending they buy apparel, books, entertainment items and makeup.

With teen girls getting and giving advice at high rates, and wielding large influence over their peer groups, marketers must gain the trust of young people to act as brand advocates on their behalf—especially on social sites, where girls are spending so much of their time.

This could mean finding girls who already have a strong online presence, such as those who post “haul” videos to YouTube (the second-biggest social site among teen girls, according to the survey) and developing a relationship, or creating offerings to help teen girls shop together online by sharing the outfits they put together socially.

And it will also mean avoiding the hot buttons that annoy teens: push marketing and, above all, treating them like children.

Keep your business ahead of the digital curve. Learn more about becoming an eMarketer Total Access client today.

Check out today’s other article, “Bright Picture for US Online Holiday Sales.”

  

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Social Shopping Draws Teens

AUGUST 5, 2010

Teen girls seek peer feedback

 In 2009, nearly half of all teen internet users bought goods such as apparel, books and music online, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
This represents a 17-percentage-point increase in penetration over 2000. An even higher percentage would have made such purchases had they more spending money and access to a credit card.
“Several payment alternatives like debit cards and student accounts not only enable teens to buy on the web but also let parents set spending limits and monitor payment activity,” said Jeffrey Grau, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report “Marketing Online to Teens: Girls Shop with a Social Twist.” “Yet rather than offer these options, many retailers seem content to drive online teenagers to their physical stores.”

When it comes to what teens buy online and offline, the largest spending category by far is fashion—consisting of clothing (taking 22% of total teen spending), accessories (11%) and footwear (9%). Fashion represented 43% of North American respondents’ spending plans in spring 2010, Piper Jaffray reported in its 19th semiannual survey of teens.

Fashion translates into social shopping for many teens—especially girls—who frequently seek approval from close friends or siblings about considered purchases. Retailers that use innovative tools to bring that experience online will do best at attracting teen customers.
“New online tools are emerging that mimic the way teens like to shop in stores,” said Grau. “Some enable teens to shop online and instantly get feedback from peers about a considered purchase. Other help teens mix and match fashion outfits. Online retailers that are seriously interested in building their teen customer base should put these tools high on their list of web development priorities.”

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The full report, “Marketing Online to Teens: Girls Shop with a Social Twist,” also answers these key questions:

• What percentage of teen internet users buy online, and what prevents more from doing so?
• How do teens use social media to get product tips and purchase advice?
• What do teens expect from the retailers they do business with?
• How do retailers market effectively to teens on social media?

To purchase the report, click here. Total Access clients, log in and view the report now. 

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