Dive Brief:

• While more Americans are interacting with each other on social media, 62% that activity has no effect on their buying decisions, according to the State of the American Consumer Report by polling firm Gallup.

• Not even millennials, who were the most likely generation of the four studied to say that social media affects buying decisions to some extent, differed much from older generations.

• The poll was conducted from December 2012 to January 2013 online and by mail, a survey of 18,525 U.S. adults, aged 18 and older.

Dive Insight:

In this study, Gallup found that social media isn’t a major factor in driving most Americans’ buying decisions. Among those who "like" or follow a brand on Facebook or Twitter, 34% say that has no influence at all on their buying decisions, and 53% say they have some influence. Friends, store displays, television ads, catalogs, and magazines all have more power than a company’s social media site, according to this research.

Customers already engaged with a company — in other words, people who are already fans — are more likely to interact with that company via social media, the report did find. And experiences like excellent customer service in a store lead customers to a retailer’s social media site. But product promotion on social media leading to sales? Not so much.