ExactTarget recently released a report on the interactions that consumers have with brands through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and email.
According to this study, 51% of social media consumers felt that after liking a company, they expected to receive additional marketing messages from that company. On the other hand, 40% of these consumers did not expect to receive any additional marketing messages after the initial “like.” The remainder were caught in the middle, and didn’t know exactly what to expect.
These numbers paint a clearer picture for why consumers “unlike” brands. 44% of respondents said they “dislike” a company on various social media platforms, because that company would post material too frequently. Similarly, these respondents mentioned that their Facebook walls would become cluttered with marketing propaganda .
No one likes to log on to his or her Facebook account just to find a hundred advertising posts to sift through. People primarily use Facebook to stay up to date with their friends, not to be attacked by special deals and offers.
Still, some of the offers provided are useful to certain consumers. Of those surveyed, 26% indicated that they only “liked” a brand in order to gain access to a special promotion. Once the deal was received however, a high percentage of these individuals would “unlike” the brand.
“Liking” and “Unliking” a brand via Social Media is all what you make of it. Be prepared to receive follow up communication if you do decide to “like” something. Some of this may be useful, though much can be discarded.
Why Are Consumers “Unliking” Brands?
