Hey Businesses! Social Media Users Want Your Attention
For any company that thought social media was a passing fad not worthy of their time, the numbers coming out of a recent study published by Opinion Research Corporation for Cone should come as a wake-up call. According to that study, 85% of Americans using social media think companies should have an active presence in the social media environment. What's even more interesting is that those users actually want the companies to interact with them while there.
In Cone's 2008 "Business in Social Media" study, social media was defined as "technology facilitated dialogue among individuals or groups, such as blogs/microblogs, forums, wikis, content sharing, social networking, social bookmarking and social gaming."
When over 1,000 social media users were asked what companies' role in social media should be, their answers were somewhat surprising. For all the griping about intrusive internet ads, lame marketing campaigns, and lousy customer service, you would think that the last thing users would want is to have companies invading the platforms they use for communicating and socializing with their friends and colleagues. As it turns out, the opposite is true.
It seems that users are actually receptive to the idea of companies getting involved on social media platforms and interacting with them while there. Out of the 85% of users who want companies to have a presence in social media, 34% want companies to actively interact with them and 51% want companies to interact with them as needed or by request. 8% think companies should only be passively involved on social media and 7% think companies should not be involved at all.
This desire for business-to-consumer interaction goes beyond simply offering customer service via Twitter. Although 43% would like to see companies offering customer service through social media, 41% would like companies to solicit feedback and 37% would like companies to provide new ways to interact with the brand via social media. These numbers could not be more clear: these consumers are practically begging for businesses to get involved in social media.
Not So Shocking: Social Media Users Like To See Social Media Used
If these numbers seem a little skewed it's because the survey was only given to social media users. They're more likely to understand and appreciate how social media operates. Where traditional advertising and marketing campaigns broadcast messages one way (business to consumer), social media encourages conversations. And these open dialogues are exactly what today's social media users desire and participate in regularly. Give their active use of this medium for social communications, it's not a huge leap for them to say they want to use social media in new and different ways - such as for communicating with businesses.
Although it can be scary for businesses to take that initial plunge, once they get in and get involved, it will be worth their effort. The numbers from this study back that up, too: 56% of users say they feel better about companies when they can interact with them on social media and 57% say they feel better served.
We definitely agree with those numbers. Most people don't think to call customer service over minor complaints, feeling that it's just not worth the effort. But if you have a brand representative respond to one of your Twitter posts like this, the experience is so much better:
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This is a total joke. Cone is completely biased and this "study" supports their reason to exist as a company. Save this crap for a press release, but don't sling it at the RWW audience.
No, sorry, I don't want to talk with some fast-food company, and I don't want them listening to me. Just like I don't want some Bud rep at my party. I sure as hell don't want to be poked, or virtually gifted by them.
As marketing messages get increasingly ignored (Tivo, Adblock,etc.), the marketing industry seeks to find new ways to invade the lives of consumers. It is no surprise, but doesn't reflect anything I hear from people (actually the opposite).
I think the principle behind this is simple... Meet people right where they're at.
Could Haarg be a new social netwoks?
I'm not surprised, but I do find it encouraging for the industry. Several Harvard Business Professors now teach there students that involvement in Social Media is a necessity for most businesses going forward. The fact that SM users what some form of interaction completes the loop!
I think its great you did a positive piece today.I'm not suggesting that you have been negative, but so many others have been. Thanks.
Interesting, thanks for the heads up.
I'm sure the numbers are inflated based off of the biased members involved with the survey, but the fact is simple. People want improved customer service, always have, always will. If another way to interact on a personable level with customers is through social media outlets, companies should present the platform to allow it. It can only benefit the company and allow for a stronger word of mouth from their users.
Craig
www.budgetpulse.com
interesting post, thanks for sharing
I guess I follow in the passive company camp. If you're a business look for your company name and respond with a solution or to direct messages and I'll follow you.
Throw out ads and helpful promo tips and I'll drop you asap.
This is definitely a sign of the changing times and I don't think it's surprising that a survey within Social Media would end up this way.
However I think Tom makes some valid points. Social Media users don't want companies that are just going to use these 'new' channels as another form of one way brute force marketing.
If (and this is the hard part) businesses can genuinely interact, offer value and establish relationships via Social Media, then it's a win-win. If they view it as a place to push, market and sell their product, then it will backfire on them very quickly.
Shawn
The whole thing, as a B-B and B-C tool, is exploding. We provide social media monitoring and we've doubled the numbers of leads we're generating (via a freemium version) without changing anything we're doing. And these are not tire kickers, they're some of the biggest companies and agencies out there. This study will just kick us further past the social media tipping point...it is, IMHo, the primary marketing medium going forward for any business from mom and pop to Fortune 500.
Of course I'm slightly biased...;-)
This is very logical to me... everybody wants attention.
Even without any Social Media.. customers like it when you listen to them.. They have a problem, but just listening already solves it for them.. It's all about attention...
But be aware, attention needs to be genuine ;-)
This is a pretty interesting article. I strongly believe social media is the way to go and is increasingly becoming an important factor in the success of companies. I also came across an interesing article on social media use in top companies: http://ymedialabs.com/blog/?p=60
A spot on post. Customers want service and the best way to give it to them is to listen actively and engage them; what better way than with social media- a business is then invited into the "cocoon" and gets to find out what their customer really wants.
It is all in due time before Businesses start incorporating this into the business plans. It is just too easy access to a broad audience to not use it!
Jesse W.
http://www.churchofcowherd.com
I could see companies ruining the social media experience by getting involved
Agree with the post and thank you. Businesses entering social networking is a force of inevitability talked NOT just by Opinion Research/Cone. Gartner also published something similar that >60% of Fortune 1000 companies will connect to or host a form of online community by 2010.
Press release here - http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=770914
Peter Kim's Blog is keep track of businesses already social media. There's ~250 right now, if Gartner is right in their forecast, >350 will be added next year.
Blog here - http://www.beingpeterkim.com/2008/09/ive-been-thinki.html
For those negative with this notion - the beauty for social networking is that you don't have to subscribe/befriend/follow businesses if you don't want to. It's a much more efficient and cleaner way than email marketing.
So Tom, don't be scared, they are not here to get you or ruin your social networking experiences.
Provide something of value and interest...place customer benefit at the forefront and be clear about who you are (company and who at the company). Don't try and be shady a la Target and the Rounders, and you should be all right.
This study will just kick us further past the social media tipping point.