Two-thirds (67%) of consumers who follow brands on Twitter are more likely to buy those brands after becoming a follower, and 51% of Facebook fans are more likely to buy after becoming a fan, according to a study from Chadwick Martin Bailey.
Moreover, 79% of those who follow brands on Twitter are more likely to recommend those brands after following them, and 60% of Facebook fans say the same for Facebook.
Below, other findings from the Chadwick Martin Bailey study, Why Social Media Matters to Your Business, conducted by iModerate Research Technologies.
Website Use by Age Segment
Although Facebook's audience still skews younger, it now more closely reflects the general online population: 86% of surveyed consumers age 18-24 use Facebook a least once a month, as do 72% of those age 25-34 and 64% of those age 35-44. Moreover, 54% of consumers age 45-54 and 50% of those age 55-60 log on to Facebook at least once a month.
Most consumers follow only a handful of brands: 75% of women are fans of fewer than five brands, and just 11% follow 10+brands. Meanwhile, 68% of men are fans of fewer than five brands, and 12% are fans of 10+ brands.
Brand Fans on Facebook
Many people actively seek out brands they already like and "fan" them on Facebook: 49% of Facebook fans say they became a fan of a brand at least in part because they were already customers.
Over one-half (52%) of men (vs. 34% of women) say they become fans to show others they like or support a brand, and 43% of women become fans to receive discounts and promotions (vs. 35% of men).
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Asked to select the primary reason they become a fan of a brand on Facebook, men cited the following top 4 reasons:
- To show others that I like/support the brand: 23%
- Because I am a customer of the company: 22%
- To receive discounts and promotions: 18%
- It's fun and entertaining: 11%
The top 4 reasons cited by women:
- To receive discounts and promotions: 30%
- Because I am a customer of the company: 20%
- To show others that I like/support the brand: 15%
- It's fun and entertaining: 10%
Twitter and Brand Followers
Some 59% of men say they became a Twitter follower of a brand at least in part because they were already a customer, compared with 43% of women who say so.
Other notable Twitter-related differences between the genders include the following:
- 60% of women say they follow brands on Twitter to receive discounts, compared with just 29% of men.
- Men (32%) are nearly twice as likely as women (17%) to follow a brand to be part of a community of likeminded people.
- Men (13%) are nearly three times as likely as women (5%) to use Twitter to resolve customer service issues.
Asked to select the primary reason they follow a brand on Twitter, men cited the following top 4 reasons:
- To be the first to know information about the brand: 29%
- To receive discounts and promotions: 23%
- Because I am a customer of the company: 15%
- To gain access to exclusive content: 11%
The top 4 reasons cited by women:
- To receive discounts and promotions: 34%
- To gain exclusive access to content: 17%
- It's fun and entertaining: 14%
- Because I am a customer of the company: 11%
About the data: Findings were collected from 1,504 adults (age 18+) via a nationally representative online survey questionnaire, within the US, by Chadwick Martin Bailey, from February 8 to 9, 2010. In addition, iModerate Research Technologies conducted one-on-one discussions to more fully contextualize social media behaviors.
