Do you believe that most brands are connected to their consumers on social media? 

As Sprout Social agency partners we gain access the most up to date insights with social media optimisation and engagement.

Recently, Sprout Social surveyed 1000 people to understand the correlation between social media engagement and the growing need for connectedness across platforms.

The value of social media as a connecting medium rather than a promotional tool has yet to be widely utilised amongst brands. The Survey showed that investing in relationships with customers facilitates loyalty with more than half of consumers (56%) highlighting that they would increase their spending and 76% saying that they would consider switching their loyalty from competitor brands.

The data gathered shows brand popularity doesn’t imply a strong consumer-brand connection. For example, metrics such as a growing number of followers does not reveal why consumers feel an attachment towards the brand and form a loyalty towards them.

The results show that consumers define feeling connected to a brand as

• a sense of trust (66%)
• an alignment of values (53%)
• and an understanding of consumer wants (51%)

These attitudes indicate brand-consumer relationships are much more than transactional.

Social media is a powerful medium for networking and the spread of information. However, based on personal experiences of consumers surveyed, 63% feel social media helps them keep in touch with others and 62% feel it helps them unite.

Powerful campaigns and growing popularity fosters engagement but connectedness facilitates brand loyalty. Connectedness is insurance against boycotts when customers have a bad experience or losing customers to a competitor.

With 62% of consumers loyal to brands they feel connected to, harnessing connection with the target market is a powerful and essential consideration during promotional planning.

Social media has sparked a growing interest in learning about the faces behind brands. Consumers feel more connected to brands with CEOs active on social media (72%) and feel there a real people behind their favourite brands (61%)

Harnessing the power of personality allows the brand to speak the same language as the consumer with 45% of consumers feeling more connected to brands they felt had a personality.

Connection grows when the consumer feels the brand listens to their needs and communicates directly with them (55%). This need to be heard by brands also effects the content consumers would most like to see with 46% of consumers preferring interactive social content.

One of the most significant factors in fostering connection is transparency. With a growing need for connection it’s crucial that marketing strategy of the business aligns with this consumer trend.

Article by Lorenzo Encomienda. Lorenzo likes to carve out time for exploring. Diving into subcultures and checking out new happenings, whether at home or abroad. Expect to find him at the next comedy show or Pro-wrestling event in town. Follow Lorenzo at @30HomeGames

Mind Methods is now an official Sprout Social agency partner.