EXPERT RECOMMENDATION BEHAVIOR

consumers:to converting The secret

2The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

500,000 votes later, it was decided. Mayochup is the name of this secret sauce (unless they can come up with a better one, they added).

Meanwhile, every fry lover in the state of Utah cried foul.

FRY SAUCE.

Heinz’s “Mayochup” is actually Fry Sauce, the same secret sauce Utah pioneered and has been serving to fry lovers for decades. And just like Fry Sauce, the Beehive State is ahead of the curve with ExpertVoice. With 500+ brand partners, ExpertVoice is already getting much-deserved attention.

Heinz took In April 2018,

asked the masses:to Twitter and

Would they purchase a product that combines Ketchup and Mayonnaise into some sort of sauce you can dip your fries in?

3The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

You see, brands market their products using a combination of traditional advertising and influencer marketing — both are great at creating awareness. But ExpertVoice takes it a step further with their own special ingredients: It’s a few parts education (on brands and products) and a few parts experience (specifically with a product) that together create an authentic recommendation consumers can trust.

We surveyed the people consumers trust for these recommendations (we call them experts) on how often, where, and why they give recommendations.

Read on to see why expert recommendations are the obvious answer for converting your consumers.

4The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

Who advocates for you?

01

5The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

Influencers are a popular way for brands to create buzz about their product.

Because brands often enlist influencers with large amounts of followers, this results in a lot of eyeballs for a product launch or campaign. While this wide-net tactic is excellent for bringing a potential consumer into the consideration phase, it often doesn’t do much to turn browsers into buyers — that requires a one-to-one conversation.

Influencers aren’t able to answer every single direct message or comment with a personal note about why the product they advertise it could work for that particular consumer. They provide great insight into the aspirational use case of a product, but it’s

What’s an expert?

Someone whose passion, experience, and knowledge set them apart from others. Think: your child’s ski instructor, your photographer friend, or your favorite retail salesperson.

tough for high-profile influencers to provide a great, personalized recommendation.

But experts can.

And they do.

ExpertVoice surveyed more than 1,000 experts on their recommendation behavior: where recommendations happen, why they occur, how often, and with whom. The responses provide great insight for a brand looking to reach consumers on a more trusted level.

6The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

When andwhere

02

7The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

This panel of members — people we refer to as experts — range from knowledgeable retail sales associates to experienced pros. And in an average week, more than half of these experts recommend products at least 11-20 times per week. In fact, 24% of respondents give more than 30 product recommendations every single week.

This panel of members — people we refer to as experts — range from knowledgeable retail sales associates to experienced pros.

17+29+19+11+2430+

per week21-30

per week11-20

per week6-10

per week0-5

per week

24%

11%

19%

29%

17%

Thinking about an average week, how often do you make product recommendations?

Where are they doing it? Most recommendations happen in a retail setting or at the location where an activity takes place (like a gym, trail, or track). Experts tend to recommend products in their place of work, and 60% of experts on ExpertVoice are affiliated with a retailer.

When you last made a product recommendation, where did you make that recommendation?

At a store

In the �eld

At home

Other

Online 7%

15%

18%

28%

32%

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Recommend

8The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

The secret sauce03

9The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

Experts learn about products in multiple ways: reading about them, watching product videos, working in a retail store, or even from a mentor. In an overwhelming majority, 92% of experts state that having experience with products furthers their education.

Experience with products

Reading about products

Watching videos

Learning from a mentor

Working in retail

Other

92%

85%

72%

50%

47%

6%

Which of these has been an important factor in helping you to build you knowledge in a category

that you’re passionate about?

10The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

Interestingly, fewer than half of experts feel a brand’s reputation is important in recommending a product, leading us to believe that while people can develop loyalty to a brand, when it comes to helping someone find the right item for their needs, the specific product is more important than the brand name associated.

Before making recommendations, experts say there are a few things that must be in place. Knowledge and personal experience with the product are paramount, as well as knowledge of the brand and its category. 88+82+70+69+46+4

Knowledge of the product

Personal experiencewith the product

Knowledge of the brand

Knowledge of the category

Brand Reputation

Other

88%

82%

70%

69%

46%

4%

11The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

According to the surveyed experts, the most important factor in likelihood to recommend a product is having a positive experience using the product.

49+40+38+37+27Memorableunboxing

experience

Seamless shoppingexperience and I got

a great deal

I have read enoughabout the productto understand it

Someone I trustrecommends the

product to me

A positive experienceusing the product myself

2.73

3.793.844.00

4.93

more

less 0

5

LIKE

LY T

O R

ECO

MM

END

How likely are you to recommend a product to a friend based on each of the following factors?

12The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

It’s all about the experience

04

13The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

When these people recommend products, 68% do it for someone whose experience in the category is less than the expert’s experience.

�����17+29+19+11+24 68%

30%

2%

Less than mine

Same as mine

More than mine

When making a product recommendation, it’s most often to people whose experience

in the category is:

14The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

When they make recommendations, they’re very specific about what sort of experience a user will have with the product. While price is a consideration, experts place significant value on product comparisons and the user’s needs.

How important is it to cover each of the following when making a product recommendation?44+41+40+36

The priceWho the idealuser is

Comparison withother products

What experience willthe user have with

the product

3.614.004.14

4.43

more

less 0

5

IMPO

RTA

NCE

15The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

What is the best reward for giving a recommendation?

Finally, we asked the panel about their motivation behind giving a recommendation. It might be easy to assume that financial incentive is the strongest motivation, but the panel reveals a different story.

When asked what the best reward for providing a recommendation is, 52% of respondents state that it’s sharing their passion and expertise with others, and 35% state that it’s learning the recipient (who received a recommendation, and eventually purchased) used and loved the product.

By contrast, only 1% of respondents state that earning a commission on a sale was the best reward.52+35+7+3+2+1 52%

35%

7%

3%

2%

1%

Sharing my passionand experience

with others

Learning the receipientused and loved

the product

Knowing the recommendation caused more recommendations

Other

Influencing thepurchase decision

Earning a commisionon the sale

16The Secret to Converting Consumers: Expert Recommendation Behavior

every week recommendations

consideration not only sell more product, they develop loyal customers who in turn become educated recommenders.

As evidenced by the panel’s responses, experience and knowledge about a product or brand are critical to an expert, and the brands who take the opportunity to influence a consumer’s purchase through educated

(many of them in excess of 30 recommendations)— people whose recommendations drive consumers to make a purchase.

There are people out there giving

ExpertVoice is the world’s largest community of trusted experts whose passion, experience and knowledge make them powerful brand advocates. Join the 500+ brands who already use ExpertVoice to connect with the experts whose authentic recommendations help you sell more.

Contact us to learn more about how ExpertVoice can help you build your brand

expertvoice.com/lets-talk

About the author

Jen Robinson is the Content Strategist at ExpertVoice. Jen enjoys traveling the world, cooking with her husband, and getting as much sleep as one can with a young infant.