Just as more of us are turning to sites like Facebook and Twitter for the news of the day, we're also looking to social networks for guidance on what to buy. That's manna to marketing folks, who no doubt will be encouraged by findings released today by Gartner research firm.

"The majority of consumers rely to some extent on social networks to guide them in their purchase decisions," said the research firm, which surveyed nearly 4,000 consumers in the last quarter of 2009.

The growing importance of such sites as information influencers was noted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project and Pew's Project for Excellence in Journalism earlier this year.

"People use their social networks and social networking technology to filter, assess and react to news," the nonprofit group said in a report, "Understanding the Participatory News Consumer."

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