Social media marketing campaigns have had a tremendous impact on society. Not only has the medium changed the way firms approach advertising, but it has revamped how consumers shop and spend their income. To keep up, marketers have had to entirely revamp their efforts and look at marketing and advertising in a whole new light. For some, this has been difficult – many have experienced challenges shifting from traditional ways to new trends, particularly because social media marketing lacks return on investment analytics. For others, the shift has been natural – just another way to connect with consumers.

Due to many makeovers in shopping trends, consumers have developed far more sophisticated purchasing habits, a recent report by PowerReviews and the e-tailing group revealed. Additionally, a growing number of shoppers use a variety of tools to find what they are looking for, compare prices, read reviews and make purchases. The report, title The 2011 Social Shopping Study, also indicated that as more consumers adopt Facebook and make it an important network in their day-to-day lives, its potential for retailers and brands will only continue growing.

The survey found that 70 percent of consumers take a day or longer to research a purchase, claiming it takes up 75 percent or more of their online shopping time. The average consumer begins his or her online research via a retailer's website or a search engine, yet other customers' reviews of a product or service play the largest role in a consumer's decision to make a purchase. Ninety percent of people said reviews have an impact on their decision to buy, and 60 percent revealed that these are the most important factor. Most consumers turn to Amazon to make a purchase or check a price – with 85 percent claiming the website is a factor in their product research.

"This study proves just how much people value each other's opinions about products and services, and how much influence those opinions hold over how people shop and what they buy," said CEO of PowerReviews Pehr Luedtke, the firm that conducted the report, in a statement. "Additionally, there remains a significant opportunity for retailers and brands to leverage Facebook as a platform for connecting with customers in order to build engagement and drive sales."

Although social media marketing campaigns are often touted as largely influential on consumers' spending habits, the report indicated there is still tremendous room for improvement. Accordingly, only one-third of consumers turn to social platforms to conduct research, and only a quarter of survey respondents have liked a brand or product while visiting a retailer's website. The average consumer only connects with a brand on platforms such as Facebook to receive deals.

Another contribution to shifting shopping and spending trends is mobile marketing. Typically, this channel is centered on pricing, with most consumers using their smartphones in-store to leverage promotions, coupons and check on competitor's pricing and product reviews and ratings. However, a greater number of consumers are using their mobile devices to scan mobile barcodes and quick response codes to access additional information.

"It is interesting to see the evolution of the consumer who can now access information across various channels," said Lauren Freedman, president of the e-tailing group. "They are hungry to find the right information about products they are researching and are willing to spend significant time to take advantage of user-generated content and, most importantly, to be rewarded by purchasing it at the price they want to pay."