Brands often talk about their use of social media as a key customer engagement factor. But according to a new survey from Kentico Software, most customers don’t pay attention to brand content on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
According to the survey, 68% of the general public either never or hardly ever pays attention to what’s posted by the brands they “like” or follow on such social networks as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. From that same group of respondents, only 5% report “unliking” or unfollowing these brands.
When asked how many brands they tend to “like” on Facebook, 39% said 1 to 10, 7% said 11 to 20, and 6% said 21 to 30. While 40% don't “like” brands at all. Another 40% reported “liking” or following a brand on a social network because they were already interested in the brand and want to be kept informed.
Nearly 40% “like” or follow brands to receive a special offer, and 12% do so because a friend recommended it, the survey revealed. Only 8% “like” or follow a brand they weren’t already familiar with offline to learn more. The most common reasons for “unliking” or unfollowing a brand were: uninteresting posts (32%) and too many posts (28%).
What’s more, the survey also questions the return marketers can expect from their social media investments: 72% of respondents said they never or hardly ever purchase a product after hearing about it on a social network, but 35% will buy a product based on product recommendations made using prior search or purchase history.
“While our latest Digital Experience Survey may be bad news to some, it only reinforces our notion that the social media efforts of a company need to be measured by community engagement rather than Likes or follows,” Kentico CEO and Founder Petr Palas said in a press release. “Equally critical is content that is compelling and personalized whenever possible to maintain the interest of people who may have become somewhat impervious to the constant bombardment of various marketing messages today.”
The Kentico Digital Brand Interactions Survey is the fifth installment of an ongoing Kentico Digital Experience Research series that kicked off last year. More than 300 U.S. residents aged 18 and older participated in the Kentico Digital Brand Interactions Survey, which was conducted online during the month of February, 2014.