In the midst of an uncertain business climate, 59% of active social networking users say LinkedIn is their most important social account, up from the 41% who said so a year earlier, according to a report by Performics and ROI Research. Twitter is ranked second among most important social accounts (58%), followed by YouTube (55%) and Facebook (53%).
In 2010, Facebook was viewed as the most important social account (56%) with LinkedIn and Twitter trailing, 41% and 40%, respectively.
Below, additional findings from the report titled, "S-Net (The Impact of Social Media)," based on a survey of 2,997 active social network account holders, conducted by ROI Research and sponsored by Performics.
Frequency of Visits
Among those with an active LinkedIn account, 50% visit the site at least weekly (vs. 67% in 2010) and 20% visit the site at least daily (vs. 22%).
Among active Facebook users, the frequency of visits to Facebook remained fairly stable over the previous year, as did daily visits to Twitter (flat at 44%). However, the percentage of those visiting Twitter at least weekly fell to 70% on 2011, from 81% in 2010.
Recommending, Buying Products
People recommend and buy from the brands they "like" and follow:
- Active Twitter users who follow at least one brand are more likely to recommend a brand they follow (59%) and more likely to buy a product they follow (58%).
- Active Facebook users, similarly, who are fans of at least one brand are more likely to recommend a brand they like (53%) and more likely to buy a product they like (53%).
Comparison shopping is also prevalent: 59% of active social networkers use social networks to compare prices and 56% do so to talk about sales or special deals.
Personal referrals are influential: 60% of active social networkers are at least somewhat likely to take action when a friend posts something about a product/service or brand.
Interaction With Brands
Most active social networkers have positive attitudes about brand interaction:
- 52% strongly or somewhat agree that by voicing opinions on social networking sites, consumers can influence business decisions made by companies, brands and retailers.
- 51% strongly or somewhat agree social networking sites are a good place for companies/brands to communicate their sustainability initiatives (taking steps towards positively impacting the environment).
- 34% strongly or somewhat agree interacting with companies/brands on social networking sites has made me more aware of brands' eco-friendly efforts.
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But most people are not looking for frequent communications from brands. Asked how often they think products, services, or companies should communicate with fans on social networking sites, active social networkers cite the following:
- Once a month or less: 28%
- Once a week: 26%
- Twice a month: 13%
- Twice a week: 11%
A remaining 6% cite every other day, while 7% cite once a day and 3% cite more than one a day.
About the data: Findings are from a survey of 2,997 active social networkers in April 2011, conducted by ROI Research and sponsored by Performics, owned by Publicis Groupe. Some 98% of respondents were age 18+ and 53% were female.
