06 Dec Are Retail Brands Easier to Like on Facebook?

According to a Crowd Science survey, branded Facebook pages had the lowest number of “likes” (9% of users). The most popular reasons for “liking” a page tied between showing support and finding the content valuable, both at 28%.

Online buyers showed they were more inclined to “like” a retail page based on the presence of coupons and promo codes—not a surprising response from users who shop online. More than half also considered the customer service aspect of a retail Facebook page to be important, showing that those who “like” brands also like sharing experiences, whether positive or negative.

Content is king, but remember Social Media users are not seeking friendship from brands or retailers.  The best focus for retailers is being on social networks to answer questions, provide customer service support and broadcast promotions, which translate into fairly instant and measurable results.

Should this worry you if you are not a retail business? Not necessarily!

For brands and service-oriented businesses, the gains from Social Media appear in the form of trust, loyalty, and expertise. Companies may not see immediate sales of big ticket services but word of mouth, valuable content and consistent messages eventually turn “likers” and their communities into dream clients.