By Greg Hazley
Social media users "adopt" fewer than five companies online on average, whether by "liking" on Facebook or following on Twitter, according to a study by Cone.
New media users demonstrate affinity for only 4.6 companies online, the cause marketing firm found, calling that "club" one of the "most exclusive to which a company can hope to gain access." An estimated 33% of users do not follow any brands and only 8% follow 10 or more companies.
"Consumers' affinity can only tolerate five brands, so companies need to think beyond the coupon or clever widget to figure out how to develop long-term relationships with real staying power," said Cone director of new media Mike Hollywood.
Source: Cone |
Nearly 60% of those engaged say they are satisfied with their experiences with companies or brands online, according to Cone, and 62% said they were likely to share information about a company across their own social networks.
What attracts followers to brands? Seventy-seven percent said incentives like coupons or free products are key to the decision to engage. Forty-six percent said customer service offerings like problem solving were important, while 39% said they wanted their feedback solicited. Only 28% were looking to be entertained by brands or companies.
The 86% who said they are more open to engaging with companies via new media was up from 78% in 2009, according to Cone, which is part of Omnicom.
|