Social Promoters Power Brand Engagement

Jul 22, 2015

Social promoters more likely than sharers to actively engage directly with brands

eMarketer estimates that nearly nine in 10 US companies with 100 or more employees will use social networks for marketing purposes this year. Those aiming for quality fans would be wise to get promoters’ attention.

According to a May 2015 study by Social@Ogilvy, 84% of social media users worldwide “liked” or followed a brand or product on social, and 58% shared brand experiences—whether good or bad. However, just 19% were brand promoters—those who said they were extremely likely to recommend brands and products to friends.

While promoters represent a small share of social users, they’re an important group for brands, as they’re more active than others. Two-thirds of promoters said they actively followed brands on a regular basis, while just half of sharers said the same.

When the study asked social media users about their reasons for following or “liking” a brand or product on social media, promoters were more likely than sharers to cite every single reason listed. Hearing about product news and updates was the biggest reason, cited by 77% of promoters, vs. 69% of sharers—the only category cited by the majority of this group. Around half of promoters followed or “liked” brands in order to give direct feedback or communicate directly with a brand.

Promoters’ also had a more active group of social friends: Nearly six in 10 said their friends regularly mentioned brands and products on social, vs. 47% of sharers, and they were more likely to trust their brand recommendations on social (36%) than in person (27%).

Promoters were influenced by what these active friends and followers had to say, too. When asked about the actions taken after hearing about a brand from a friend or follower on social media, nearly seven in 10 went directly to the brand’s site, and two-thirds started researching. The majority also responded by asking their friends for more information. Though it was less common, it’s still notable that 35% went all the way to purchasing the brand after a friend or follower positively mentioned it on social, compared with 24% of sharers.

 


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