Young will abandon social media if brands get too pushy
LONDON - Young people welcome the presence of brands on social networking sites but over half say they will stop using a network if it becomes too commercialised.
According to the Rules of Engagement survey by Webtrends, 85 per cent of people under the age of 35 welcome brands on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, but half said they would leave if the site became too commercial.
ADVERTISEMENT
The survey also found 39 per cent of social network users complain there is too much advertising on such sites, challenging brands to strike a delicate balance between brand communication and bombardment.
More than half of people who use Twitter every day expect brands to use social media to understand customers, provide better service for those customers, involve users in the design of future goods and services, discuss market issues and draw attention to new products and initiatives.
Half of Twitter users said a brand has successfully interacted with them through social media, compared to 31 per cent of Facebook users
Christian Howes, digital solutions architect at Webtrends, said businesses need to be agile on social networks, should listen to feedback and place the customer's interests at the heart of their message.
"Pumping out self-serving or ‘preachy' announcements just doesn't work, no matter how big the brand is. People are open to conversations with brands they like - I know I get a huge buzz out of a brand I favour following me on Twitter -but it's got to be a two-way conversation," he said.
Young people will abandon sites like Twitter if they become too commercial
Tags
Jobs
- SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER :: EXPERIENTIAL, Dylan*
- , Central London
- Senior User Experience Architect/Senior Interaction Designer, Sapient
- Competitive, Central London
- SEO Manager, Graphic Design
- Up to £30,000 per annum, South East England
- MARKETING MANAGER :: INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY COMPANY, Dylan*
- Fantastic Benefits, Central London
Comments
Greg Felgate - 30/10/2009
Webtrends is asking the wrong questions here. A certain amount of people would leave a social media brand site if it became too commercial, yes, but I think the main issue is around the level of engagement and dialogue that a brand has with its fans online. Be creative, engaging and honest while offering a great prize, and you can't go far wrong. http://www.finncomms.com/blog/users/Greg