Consumers Want to Interact With Companies on Social Media
DZ
According to the findings of the 2008 Cone Business in Social Media Study, almost 60% of Americans interact with companies on a social media Web site, and one in four interact more than once per week. The survey finds that 93% of Americans believe a company should have a presence in social media, while 85% believe a company should not only be present, but should also interact with its consumers via social media.
56% of American consumers feel both a stronger connection with, and better served by, companies when they can interact with them in a social media environment.
Mike Hollywood, director of new media for Cone, observes that “… social media… it isn’t an intrusion into their lives, but rather a welcome channel for discussion.”
When Americans were asked about specific types of interactions:
- 43% say that companies should use social networks to solve my problems
- 41% want companies to solicit feedback on their products and services
- 37% feel that companies should develop new ways for consumers to interact with their brand
- 33% of men and 17% of women interact frequently (one or more times per week) with companies via social media
“The ease and efficiency of online conversation is likely a draw for men who historically do not seek out the same level of interaction with companies as women,” says Hollywood.
33% of younger, hard-to-reach consumers (ages 18-34), believe companies should actively market to them via social networks, and the same is true of the wealthiest households (household income of $75,000+). Two-thirds of the wealthiest households and the largest households (3 or more members) feel stronger connections to brands they interact with online.
And eMarketer reports that Generation Y (those born after 1979) online buyers are more immersed in online and mobile activities than any other generation, according to 2008 research from shopping comparison site PriceGrabber. Some 85% of Gen Y respondents said they participated in social networking, and 57% reported involvement with blogs.
Data from an August 2008 survey of Web merchants, sponsored by Internet Retailer, found that, of the 39.3% of retail respondents that use social networks, 32% have a page on Facebook, 27% on MySpace and 26% on YouTube.