Why do Twitter users follow brands?
Value: [rating=4]
Recommended link: Econsultancy Twitter Best Practice Guide
New research from Toluna and Econsultancy of 4,000 UK and US respondents has shown that over a quarter of consumers now have a Twitter account with 52% of these following brands and companies on Twitter, illustrating the potential of the channel for business.
What are Twitter users looking for when following a brand? This chart shows that many are on the lookout for deals, but it’s not just about the deals with other content also of interest. Some will simply follow to prove they are a fan of the brand.
The importance of Twitter as a feedback channel is also shown with around a quarter saying they will use Twitter for feedback:
- Only a quarter (26%) of consumers have complained on Twitter, while over half (58%) have
praised a brand on the microblogging site.
- For consumers who have given feedback via Twitter (Figure 7), two-thirds (66%) have received a response from the brand, compared to only a third (34%) who have not.
This question stood out for for me, since while many business Twitter users love Twitter to learn and share the latest developments in their industry, many consumers, including everyone else in my family are sceptical. This is what the punters say - it’s not a ringing endorsement, but few would say it’s completely useless!
As well as presenting this new research, this Econsultancy report also gives great best practice advice on how to develop a Twitter communications strategy to deliver the right types of content and engagement. This explores key decision points like:
- Setting business goals
- How to increase followers without spamming
- Number of Twitter accounts for different purposes
- Frequency of tweets
- Tools to use for monitoring and managing Twitter
- Measuring Twitter through Google Analytics