Source:  http://www.prweekus.com/Study-finds-social-media-equally-influential-to-conventional-outlets/article/126482/

excerpt

The “Tech Decision Maker” study found that decision makers consider their personal experience (58%) first when short-listing tech vendors, followed by word-of-mouth and industry analyst reports, tied at 51%.

But a nearly equal number of respondents cited user-generated media (28%) and traditional media (27%) as most influential in purchasing decisions. Advertising (17%) and direct marketing (21%) were listed as the least important information sources when short-listing vendors.

continue reading about the impact of social media