BUSINESS: Research + Stats To Bring Customers In-Store, Get Them to Follow You on Social By Staff Tuesday, May 21, 2019 3:37 PM Building a social media following is not only a great way for brands to engage customers online, it can also help increase brick-and-mortar foot traffic, according to eMarketer. More than three-quarters of U.S. internet users said they would visit a brand's physical store after following it on social media, according to a February 2019 survey conducted by social media management platform Sprout Social.Loyal customers will typically follow a brand on social media as well as have an interest in visiting its retail location, likely contributing to the high figure. But that doesn’t mean social isn’t a great tool for engaging new, younger customers and getting them interested in visiting a physical store.Most U.S. consumers discover new brands the old-fashioned way: by receiving recommendations from friends. Even among internet users ages 18 to 39, 55 percent were encouraged to try new brands from their friends and peers, according to a November 2018 survey conducted by Atlantic Re:think, the creative marketing group of The Atlantic magazine. Click here to read the full story from eMarketer.